Messed Up!
by Taka
Summary: What would you do if your world was turned upside down? Where you're the complete opposite of what you were. Where people who never existed. . .existed! Where friends you knew and enemies you had, all became your enemy for a completely different reason th
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: The characters of Ranma ½ belong to Rumiko   
Takakashi. The characters of Sailor Moon belong to Naoko   
Takeuchi. If they belonged to me, I wouldn't be writing   
this I'd be swimming in my pool of cash. I wouldn't   
bother suing me either. I got nothing you want.  
  
Messed Up  
A Ranma ½ / Sailor Moon Crossover!  
By Hawk  
C&C welcome, as well as flames at Hawk49er@attbi.com  
  
Note: I'm hoping I can really mess this story up. Not in   
a bad way mind you, but in a way that makes it way   
different from the original. ^_^. You'll understand what   
I'm talking about when you read it. This takes place   
after Ranma's battle with Saffron. Hope you enjoy!   
  
Prologue  
  
It was another normal Friday morning for Ranma   
Saotome. Be woken up by a grouchy Akane with a bucket of   
cold water.   
  
"What didja do that for!?" Receive a punch to the   
face for talking back.   
  
Go down stairs muttering about, "Stupid tomboy's   
acting more violent lately," only to receive another   
punch to the face.   
  
Ask Akane, "Is it that time of the month or   
somethin'?" only to be chased around the house by a maniac   
with a mallet.   
  
Then have to miss breakfast because your violent   
tomboy of a fiancee dragging you out to the house by your   
pig-tail saying, "We're late! This is all your fault, Ranma!"   
  
All in all, a pretty normal morning for one Ranma   
Saotome.   
  
It was while they were walking to school that Ranma   
made the comment, "Man I'm glad I never have ta have that   
time of the month," which earned him hard hit to the head   
with a mallet, which in fact, starts this story.  
  
  
Next Time: Chapter 1 - WHAT THE HELL?!?!  
You'll just have to read to find out.  
  
Author's Notes: This is a very short prologue that I wrote.   
It's only one page long. ^_^ I figured this story should be   
given a short prologue and this sorta popped into my head.   
Hope you liked it.   
From what I know, this story can be found at my website  
http://www.geocities.com/furikuri83/index.html  
Email me with what you think at Hawk49er@attbi.com 


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The characters of Ranma ½ belong to Rumiko   
Takakashi. The characters of Sailor Moon belong to Naoko   
Takeuchi. If they belonged to me, I wouldn't be writing this   
I'd be swimming in my pool of cash. I wouldn't bother suing   
me either. I got nothing you want.  
  
MeSsEd Up!  
A Ranma ½ / Sailor Moon Crossover!  
By Hawk  
C&C welcome, as well as flames at Hawk49er@attbi.com  
(Revised Version)  
  
Note: I'm hoping I can really mess this story up. Not in a bad   
way mind you, but in a way that makes it way different from   
the original. ^_^. You'll understand what I'm talking about   
when you read it. This takes place after Ranma's battle with   
Saffron. There is some swearing in it, not a lot and it's   
somewhat limish. Hope you enjoy! ^_^  
  
Chapter 1 - WHAT THE HELL?!?!  
  
Another regular day for Ranma Saotome. Get up, get   
dressed, go to school, have his lunch money stolen by Akane,   
enjoy the rest of the day. Hopefully.   
  
Ranma frowned. He wasn't sure what Kuno-sempai   
would do to him if he found out he had lost his money to the   
'Red Hammers'. Kuno's gang, the 'Virtuous Kendo Men',   
was just as bad as Akane's gang. Always taking his lunch   
money and picking on him. They were always so mean!   
  
Right now Ranma just wanted to enjoy his favorite   
part of the day. As usual he was wide awake and taking notes.   
A missed note meant a missed point, and a missed point   
meant a lower grade. That was something Ranma didn't   
want. He had straight A's in every class and planned to keep   
it that way.  
  
It was during History that he started to feel dizzy.   
Ranma wasn't sure why, but his head started to feel really   
light and his vision was getting blurry. Then, he felt like a   
truck smashed into him, or so he thought what it would feel   
like to be hit by one. He went flying back in his chair, landing   
hard on his back. The last thing Ranma heard before   
everything went dark was the class exploding in laughter.   
  
*Argh! Stupid tomboy didn't have to hit me so hard!*   
Ranma complained as he rubbed his head. Then he rubbed   
his head again. *Hm . . . No bump? My head must be getting   
mallet retardant.*   
  
Then he heard the laughter. * What the hell?* Ranma   
thought as he climbed to his feet and glanced around the   
classroom? *What the- How? Argh! I'm getting a headache!*   
Ranma shifted uncomfortably as the classroom continued to   
laugh. Why was everything so blurry looking? He could   
hardly make anything out for some reason.   
  
He stumbled his way to the front of the class, the   
room still laughing and quickly headed for what he hoped   
was the exit. * Stupid Tomboy! Knocked me unconscious!   
This has got to be the most life like dream I've ever had!*   
Ranma thought as took another wobbly step forward.   
  
"Are you all right, Saotome-san?" a voice asked   
behind him, presumably the teacher.   
  
"Huh? Yeah, I just gotta headache or somethin'," he   
mumbled before stepping out of the noisy classroom.   
  
Slowly Ranma made his way down the hallway   
toward the bathroom. His vision was still blurry, stinging his   
eyes, but he knew where the bathroom was. That's if this   
dream school was Furinkan.   
  
Opening the bathroom door, Ranma stumbled over to   
the sink. He tried to look in the mirror, but it just got blurrier.   
He reached up to rub his eyes, but his hands hit something.   
Something round. Two round things in fact. He pulled the   
object off his face and looked at it.  
  
_It_ was a pair of glasses. They looked like the kind   
Mousse would wear. Dropping the glasses into the sink,   
Ranma looked at the mirror again. And blinked. And blinked.   
And blinked. And then again. He was wearing a nice white   
buttoned down school shirt with what looked like a pack of   
pens in the breast pocket. Looking down at his pants, he   
blinked as the sight of long grey pants, belted and hiked up   
past his belly button. *What the hell? This is one messed up   
dream!!*   
  
Quickly Ranma rubbed his eyes and looked in the   
mirror again. Same clothes. He rubbed his eyes again with the   
same results. A pinch. Nothing changed. A harder pinch. Still   
nothing. Slap Nothing. Still nothing! *What the hell?!*   
  
He grabbed the sinks' faucet and turned. Or tried to.   
*Damn thing's jammed!* Ranma thought angrily before   
twisting harder. It didn't turn. He twisted even harder with   
the same result only this time he felt exhausted.   
  
"What the Hell!?!" Ranma shouted to himself not all   
that sure about this dream. He was exhausted from trying to   
turn a jammed faucet handle. How was that possible? He   
could've broken that thing off if he wanted to. Catching his   
breath, Ranma lifted his hand again. Slap Slap Slap.  
  
A now red faced Ranma looked into the mirror in   
shock. He couldn't turn the faucet, he was wearing really   
geeky clothes, he had been wearing glasses that would've   
made Mousse's look sorry, his pants were hiked up and if he   
didn't know better he would've sworn that he had a pocket   
protector on. In fact. *IT IS A POCKET PROTECTOR!!!!!*   
  
Ranma reeled back, tripping over his own feet. "What   
the hell? What the hell? What the hell? What the hell?"   
Ranma kept asking himself. He'd pinched himself. He'd   
slapped himself, multiple times. The only thing he hadn't   
done was splash himself with cold water, but he couldn't   
even do that. He was too weak to turn the jammed handle.   
Weak. Weak. "What the hell!?" This wasn't a dream! *This   
_isn't_ a dream!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*  
  
Ranma stood up clutching his head, screaming,   
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  
HHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
!!!!!!!!!!" Not knowing what else to do, Ranma ran straight   
for the exit, intending to break through it. CRASH! Only   
to realize he wasn't strong enough to do that.   
  
Ranma fell to the floor, spread-eagle before sitting up   
again and screaming at the top of his lungs,   
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  
HHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
!!!!!!!!!!!!"   
  
*********  
  
Every student, inside every classroom of Furinkan   
High that day would swear later that they heard loud scream.   
  
*********  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH  
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"   
  
Ranma continued to scream as he ran through the   
streets of Nerima causing nearby pedestrians to cover their   
ears. He had ripped the pocket protector from his shirt and   
ran from the bathroom through the halls of Furinkan   
screaming at the top of his lungs.   
  
Weaving through people, Ranma continued to clutch   
his head, screaming until it happened. From every side,   
direction possible he was splashed with water, soaking him to  
the bone. He stopped running and screaming abruptly,   
looking around confused for where the water might have   
come from.   
  
Nothing. He didn't see anyone. Ranma looked down   
at his chest. *I'm still a man?* He shrugged his shoulders   
before he ran off, clutching his head and screaming at the top   
of his lungs.   
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH  
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
*********  
  
By the time Ranma returned to Furinkan, everyone   
was getting out for the day. As he looked around, he noticed   
that there were a lot of students he'd never seen before. One   
of them looked exactly like his cursed for. Exactly. She even   
had the pigtail.  
  
*Ranko Tendo.* His mind told him. "How'd I know   
that?" Ranma asked himself. He looked at the group of girls   
she was walking with and his mind responded. *Usagi   
Tsukino. Ami Mizuno. Makoto Kino. Rei Hino.*   
  
"Whoa! Head rush!" Ranma exclaimed out loud   
grabbing his head. Feeling the back of his head, he   
subconsciously pulled on his pigtail. Or tried to. *Where the   
hell's my pigtail!?!?!!?!?*   
  
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"   
Ranma screamed as he frantically felt the back of his head   
hoping he was mistaken.   
  
Screaming wasn't actually a good thing seeing as it   
drew attention to him like a fly to shit. Everyone looked at   
him. Or more likely looked at his state of dress.   
  
His hair was in a state is dismay, wild from his   
constant clutching of his head. His shirt was ripped from   
where he had literally tore the pocket protector out, his eyes   
were no longer hidden behind the large wire framed glasses   
which he'd left in the bathroom and he was soaking wet.   
  
Very slowly, Ranma smiled nervously, completely   
conscious of the looks he was receiving. Most were looking   
at him in amusement. Others were looking at him curiously.   
Some were looking at him in shock. There was even a group   
that was looking at him in anger, but he wasn't exactly sure   
why.  
  
There was one look that caught Ranma's attention. It   
was a look of sympathy. Someone who felt sorry for him   
instead of amused by his situation. Someone who looked   
concerned for his well being. It was the look of Ranko Tendo,   
as he recalled. She was the only one who was looking at him   
like that. Ranma blinked at her, taking note of her reaction for   
later.   
  
"So Do Me!" Ranma blinked loudly, looking  
completely weirded out before turning around.   
  
"Wada ya want, Kuno?" he asked cautiously. He   
needed to find out what happened. Everything was too   
confusing. "And it's Saotome . . ."  
  
"Fiend! You dare address one such as myself other   
than Kuno-sempai! Leader of the almighty Virile Kendo   
Men!" Kuno shouted angrily, pointing his bokken at Ranma's   
throat. He was backed up by the group of men who had been   
looking at him angrily and still were looking at him angrily.   
  
"Doesn't he mean 'Virtuous'?" someone whispered.   
  
"Whatever, Kuno. Just get to the point," Ranma said   
in a tired voice. He was running out of patience.  
  
It was at that time that everyone watching gasped in   
shock. Ranma? The school nerd was standing up to Kuno and   
his gang of Virtuous Kendo Men. It was unthinkable.   
Unimaginable. It was well known that whenever Ranma was   
confronted by either Kuno or Akane he'd do whatever they   
told him to. But here he was standing up to Kuno and his   
gang. Everyone watched in anticipation. Except for one.  
  
"I have heard, that you surrendered my money over to   
the villanus Tendo Akane. Is this true?" Kuno asked   
threateningly.   
  
"Um . . . I don't know," Ranma replied, uncertain.   
More gasps followed. "And don't you mean villainous?"  
  
"WHAT!? You dare lie to your superior!" he shouted,  
ignoring Ranma's correction of his pronunciation "I have   
heard from my nemesisisis's . . . .nemisesis . . . ." Kuno   
stopped, tight lipped and annoyed before continuing, "wicked   
sister, Tendo Nabiki, that you gave my money to the 'Red   
Hammers'! Is this true!?" Kuno bellowed, glaring   
menacingly.  
  
*He's even dumber than before . . .* Ranma thought,   
before answering slowly, looking at Kuno confused. "Um . . .   
well . . . I guess if Nabiki said I did, then I . . . did."  
  
"You dare! For this insubord. . .evil action! You   
must pay!" Kuno shouted before he and his gang start to   
move forward.   
  
"Kuno!" Another voice shouted stopping Kuno and   
his gang in their tracks.   
  
"The vill...anus Tendo shows her face! Leave this  
place! The fool So Do Me is mine to punish!" Kuno shouted   
angrily as Akane and a group of girls walked up from   
Ranma's right.  
  
  
"That's Saotome!" Letting out a breath he didn't   
know he was holding, Ranma turned to regard Akane.   
"Thank god you're here, Akane. I don't-" he started to say,   
but was cut off.  
  
"Shut up, you! What do you think you're doing? You   
give your money to me and only me!" Akane yelled at   
Ranma, raising a fist threatening.   
  
Ranma took a step back before glancing around . The   
whole school was basically still there looking on eagerly. He   
looked over to the one girl, Ranko, and noticed that she was   
shaking her head disapprovingly. He wasn't sure what it   
meant, but he was pretty sure that it was directed toward   
Akane.  
  
"If anyone's beating the crap outta Saotome, it's   
gonna be me!" Akane shouted glaring at both Kuno and   
Ranma.   
  
"Huh?" Ranma replied in shock, taking another step back.   
He figured that he could take Akane and Kuno by themselves,   
but he knew that he wouldn't be able to handle them and their   
gangs. Images and information about Kuno's gang, the   
Virtuous Kendo Men, and Akane's gang, the Red Hammers   
were flashing through his head. Ranma still had his skill, but   
not enough strength or stamina. In the end, though he really   
hated to admit it, he'd lose.   
  
"Stinky woman! The weakling So Do Me shall   
haired goddess, Ten Do Ranko, will understand how pure and   
true my love is for her," Kuno shouted back at Akane.  
  
"Saotome!"some of the crowd shouted in response,   
beating Ranma to the point.   
  
Sighing tiredly, Ranma looked at Ranko for a moment   
to see her with a sick expression on her face. When she   
looked at him, Ranma offered her a sympathetic look of his   
own. She blinked at him in confusion before he turn to look   
back at Kuno.   
  
Shrugging his shoulders, Ranma said, "You two   
children through bickering? I'd like to get this fight over with   
as soon as possible." Ranma dropped into a ready combat   
stance.   
  
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at   
Ranma. Soon enough the crowd was whispering about him.   
Both Kuno and Akane looked at Ranma, red faced with   
anger.   
  
"You dare challenge the great Tatewaki Kuno! I will   
bring down the define justice of God upon thee!"   
  
"Divine," one of the Virtuous Kendo Men whispered,  
before being smacked in the face by Kuno's bokken.   
  
"I'm just gonna plain kick your ass, Saotome!"   
  
"All right then! Lets get this over with!" Ranma   
shouted waiting for the right moment to make his move.   
  
Akane and the 'Red Hammers' all got into offensive   
combat stances, while Kuno and the 'Virtuous Kendo Men'   
did the same.   
  
*Now's my chance!* "Saotome School of Anything   
Goes Martial Arts Final Attack . . . !" Ranma shouted   
catching the crowds' attention and causing the two gangs to   
tense up. "RUN AWAY!" And with that, he was off.  
  
*********  
  
"What do you think happened to Ranma?" Ranko   
asked aloud as she, Usagi, Rei, Ami and Makoto were walking   
away from school toward their respective homes. After   
everyone had gotten over their shock, the school yard became   
filled with rumors and whispering about Ranma's sanity.   
  
"I don't know, but I think it was hilarious!" Rei Hino   
responded before breaking into a fit of laughter.   
  
"Yeah! I really liked his," Makoto started before   
going into a low voice, "Saotome School of Anything Goes   
Final Attack!" She and Rei both started laughing.  
  
"I do admit it was quite amusing how he tricked   
Kuno-sempai and Akane like that," Ami commented.  
  
"You just find it amusing because Ranma's a brainiac   
like you and he actually had the gall to pull a stunt like that.   
Monday morning he's gonna get creamed by Kuno-sempai   
and Akane," Rei remarked.  
  
"But still, Ranma looked terrible today," Ranko said   
quietly.   
  
"What do you care, Ranko? You don't like him do   
you?" Rei asked teasingly.   
  
"I think Ranko likes Ranma." Makoto added, also   
teasingly.   
  
"Ranko, is that true!? Do you really have crush on   
Ranma?! That's so sweet!!!" Usagi, who had been quite till   
then, squealed.   
  
"I don't have a crush on him!!!" Ranko shouted   
before calming down, "I just care about people, that's all. He   
looked terrible today."  
  
Usagi giggled before saying, "He did look kinda crazy   
after school today."  
  
"I wouldn't be surprised if he had a nervous   
breakdown. The way he was screaming one would think his   
life was coming to an end," Makoto added, looking upward.   
  
"On Monday it will. Kuno and Akane are gonna kill   
him," Rei commented simply.   
  
"There was also what he said. The 'Saotome School   
of Anything Goes Martial Arts'. If any of you remember,   
there's no such thing as the Saotome School of Anything   
Goes Martial Arts," Ami explained logically.  
  
"Yeah. He must be really delusional. He completely   
stole your schools' name Ranko. Don't you care?" Makoto   
asked. "I know I would!"  
  
"It's ok with me. I kinda think it's catchy. Akane will   
probably will be pissed though," Ranko replied with a shrug.   
  
"Too bad he's going crazy though. He looked kinda   
cute without his glasses on," Usagi said giggling cheerfully.   
  
*********  
  
After having lost the two gangs, Ranma had ran to the   
nearest park and for the past four hours he'd been sitting.   
And thinking. The sun was setting over the horizon as Ranma   
continued to sit on the bench in silence.   
  
For the first hour he'd been grabbing his arms and   
feeling for his muscles. Which Ranma quickly discovered he   
had next to none. Of course that didn't stop him from feeling   
for them for the rest of the hour.   
  
The second hour was used to feel his washboard   
stomach. Or lack there of. Ranma's chest was soft and flabby   
and it made him want to scream again. Of course that didn't   
stop him from feeling for any kind of muscle for the rest of   
the hour.   
  
The third hour Ranma had used to slap himself silly.   
When he wasn't slapping himself he was pinching himself,   
and when he wasn't pinching or slapping himself he   
punching himself as hard as he could. Which wasn't very   
hard. The only problem was that he always had the same   
result. He didn't wake up.   
  
And finally the fourth hour. Better known as the 'What   
the hell am I going to do now?' hour. He had sat there   
thinking over what he should do, or be doing. After learning   
the fact that he wasn't having a dream, or nightmare for better   
word, Ranma had just plain sat, thinking over what he should   
do.   
  
*Now what should I do? I guess I should go home,   
but where do I live?* Ranma thought in despair before his   
mind once again told him. *You live at the Saotome's!*   
  
"Oh yeah! Wait a minute? How'd I know that?"   
  
*Maybe it's because you've lived there your entire   
live?* He thought sarcastically to himself.  
  
Ranma rubbed his eyes, muttering, "Weird shit," and   
then remember something. "I'M CURED!" he shouted before   
happily dashing off for the Saotome home.   
  
It was five minutes later that he came running back,   
past the bench, in the other direction screaming his head off.   
A small grey kitten chased after his retreating form.  
  
*********  
  
It was nine o'clock when Ranma finally arrived at the   
Saotome home. And apparently his too. He was glad to see   
his mom was Nodoka, but got worried when she grabbed him   
in a fierce hug, bawling like Mr. Tendo would.   
  
"Oh my, Son! Are you alright!? You look terrible!   
Where have you been!?" she asked screaming wildly.   
  
Struggling in his moms strong embrace, Ranma   
replied, "I'm fine mom. I just had a bad day that's all."   
Stepping out of his mothers embrace, Ranma looked her over   
before thinking, *Phew! She looks just like mine. Don't see   
her sword though. That's good.*  
  
"What took you so long to get home?" Nodoka asked   
holding Ranma by his shoulders.   
  
"I decided to spend some time in the park. Don't   
worry mom. I'm perfectly fine," Ranma answer reassuring   
her.   
  
"But what happened to your clothes? Did that Akane   
girl beat you up again?" she asked, worry still evident in her   
voice.  
  
Ranma winced slightly at the thought of Akane beating  
him up, but said, "No. She didn't beat me up. Lets just say   
realization hit me. Hard," he explained before adding, "I   
just wanna get something to eat and go to bed."   
  
"Why don't you go relax and I'll heat up what's left   
of dinner," Nodoka said before heading toward the kitchen.  
  
"Thanks! I haven't eaten all day!" Ranma exclaimed   
happily. He was starved! *Thanks in part to a certain violent   
tomboy!*   
  
Nodoka stopped. "Are you feeling alright, son?" she   
asked.   
  
"Yeah. I already toldja I felt fine." Ranma replied   
confused.   
  
"Well it's just that you said you hadn't eaten all day,   
but you had breakfast this morning," Nodoka replied slightly   
amused, slightly concerned.   
  
"Hehe . . . ! I guess I forgot!" Ranma replied   
nervously, rubbing the back of his head. His stomach   
grumbled loudly. "Or I'm just to hungry to remember."   
  
"Ok . . . it'll just be a minute," Nodoka said before   
entering the kitchen.  
  
"Where's, Pop?" Ranma asked after sitting down at   
the table.  
  
"He went to bed after he ate. He had a hard day at   
work," Nodoka replied from within the kitchen. *Pop?*  
  
"Nani? Oyaji's got a job?" *Man this place is really   
messed up!*   
  
"Son are you sure you're alright? Did you hit your   
head at all today?" Nodoka asked confused, from behind the   
kitchen door. *Oyaji? What's gotten into him?*   
  
"Um . . . no," Ranma lied thinking, *Akane hit me   
today before I ended up here making it probably her fault that   
I'm here, and then when I ran into the bathroom door. . . but   
my heads taken worse!* He nodded seriously, as if to   
encourage himself.   
  
"Are you completely sure?" Nodoka asked as she   
exited the kitchen with a platter of food.   
  
"No," Ranma answered, his attention completely on   
the food.   
  
"But you said that you didn't," Nodoka accused   
glaring motherly before going into complete shock. Her son   
was eating like a pig!  
  
"I sorta ran into a door," Ranma explained in-between   
bites.   
  
"Oh my! Are you alright?" Nodoka asked in concern.  
  
Ranma's face hit the table. Or would have if his food   
hadn't been in the way. Lifting his rice covered face, Ranma   
replied wearily, "I'm fine, mom."   
  
"Ranma! Where are your glasses? Is that why you ran   
into the door?" Nodoka asked worryingly.   
  
"I got rid of them. I found out I can see perfectly fine   
with out them," Ranma said confidently wiping the rice from  
his face. *At least I can see perfectly fine without them. With   
them on I knew what it was like to be Mousse without his.*   
  
"How can you see fine without them? You've always   
been blind without them," Nodoka asked confused.   
  
"Mom. I feel fine." *If not confused.* "I can see fine.   
Stop worrying," Ranma said in a dead serious voice. "Now   
I'm going to bed. Please, please, _please_ stop worrying   
about me."   
  
"Alright son. If you say so," Nodoka agreed slowly.  
  
"Ok. Tomorrow I have a _lot_ of things I need to do.   
So I'm gonna go to bed now. And stop worrying. G'night!"   
Ranma explained as he walked up the stairs to his bedroom.   
  
"Good night dear!" Nodoka called watching him exit,   
still very concern for her sons well being. *Tonight, I pray for   
my sons sanity. He didn't even hug me before going to bed . .  
.* she thought sadly.  
  
As Ranma walked up to his room, some how he just   
knew which one it was, he thought over what his mom had   
said. *Ok. Apparently Akane beats me up a lot seeing as   
mom asked me about that. Oyaji's got a job. Weird shit. I'm   
guessing I'm fragile or somethin' because of the way mom   
acted when she saw how I looked. I'm supposed to be blind.   
Gee, I wonder what else is wrong with me? Maybe this   
Ranma had asthma too!*   
  
Opening his door, Ranma blinked once before staring   
in abject horror. *The horror. The horror. The absolute   
horror!* His mind screamed at him.   
  
The walls, oh god, the walls were covered, completely   
covered with cats. Millions of cat pictures, posters, calendars,   
everything had something to do with cats. But not just any   
cats, oh no! They were 'Hello Kitty' cats!   
*AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH  
HHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*   
Ranma's mind screamed while his mouth,   
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH  
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"   
screamed too. Clutching his head, Ranma stumbled back,   
tripped, hit his head on a nearby table, and landed   
unconscious.  
  
Nodoka and Genma were at his side instantly. Well   
Nodoka anyway. Genma slept through the whole thing.   
Seeing her unconscious son, Nodoka's worry didn't lessen.   
Kneeling over her sleeping son, she clasped her hands   
together before praying, "Oh please Kami-sama! Oh please   
Kami-sama! Oh please Kami-sama! Oh please Kami-sama!"  
  
*********   
  
As Ranma slept, he dreamed. If there was such a word  
as nightmared, I'd use it. Oh, I just did. He dreamt of Akane.   
And not in a romantic way. He dreamt of her beating the crap   
out of him. Kicking him when he was down. Shoving his face   
in the mud and making him eat it in front of the whole   
school. Ranma dreamt of the multiple times Akane had   
punched or kicked him square in the face after giving her his   
lunch money. He dreamt of the many times Akane had sent   
her goons after him. The time she had stolen his glasses and   
forced him to go the rest of the day without them. When she   
had forced fed him the stuff she called food and given him   
food poisoning for a week. Ranma dreamt of the time Akane   
had shoved him into his locker and forced him to remain   
there for the rest of the day. It wasn't until seven o'clock at   
night that the janitor had let him out. Then there was the time   
she had thrown him into the girls locker room when he was   
only wearing his boxers. He dreamt of his first day at   
Furinkan and how Akane had nearly drown him in the   
swimming pool for accidentally bumping into her.   
  
Ranma dreamt of Kuno. And no, fortunately, it wasn't   
in a romantic way. He dreamt of how Kuno and his gang had   
used him as a practice dummy during most of their Kendo   
practices. Of how Kuno had smacked him in the ass in front   
of the whole school for punishment of giving the villainous   
Tendo Akane his lunch money. The time Kuno had cut off   
his pigtail because his fiery haired Goddess', Tendo Ranko   
had one too. Ranma dreamt of the many times Kuno had   
beaten him over the head for "supposedly" flirting with his   
fiery haired Goddess, Tendo Ranko. The numerous times   
he'd been beaten just so Kuno could impressed his fiery   
haired Goddess, Tendo Ranko. He dreamt of his first day at   
Furinkan and how Kuno had shoved his bokken where the   
sun don't shine just to prove his superiority.   
  
As he continued to sleep, more and more memories   
flooded his mind. Memories of his childhood. Of how he was   
bullied a through middle school. Of how he became obsessed   
with cats. A lot. The new Ranma learned so much about the   
old Ranma, that the two became integrated into one.   
  
If the new Ranma had anything to do about it, which   
he did, seeing as he was in control, the old Ranma's life was   
never going to be the same.   
  
*********  
  
Ranma opened his eyes and screamed,   
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", because of the   
nightmare that was the old Ranma's life and because he was   
laying in his room.   
  
Jumping out of his bed, Ranma bolted straight for the   
door. It wasn't until after he landed on his back that he   
realized the door was closed. Climbing to his feet, he was   
about to open the door when it opened on its own allowing   
him passage to the safe haven known as the hallway.   
  
"Are you alright, Ranma?" Nodoka asked, worry   
evident in her eyes.  
  
"What's the matter, son?" Genma asked confused at   
his sons loud screaming.   
  
"Get it the hell out!" Ranma shouted frantically.  
  
"Get what out? Is it in your head?" Nodoka asked, her   
eyes beginning to water, now smacking Ranma in the head   
with a pan. *My poor baby's going insane! Why Kami-  
sama!? Why!?*   
  
"In my head?" Ranma asked confused as the pan   
hit his head again, triggering him to shout, "No! I want all   
that cat crap outta my room! That's what I want out!"  
  
"Why do you want all of your cat stuff removed? You   
love cats," Nodoka explained, coming closer to shedding her   
tears. *My son's insane!* She mentally cried, hitting Ranma  
once more with the pan.   
  
"What are you talking about, son? You're always   
asking us if we can get a pet cat and now you all of the   
sudden don't like them. I don't understand," Genma added to   
Nodoka's confusion.  
  
"Well I've changed my mind! I say we get a dog! A   
very big dog! And scary looking too, so it'll scare away any   
cat that comes by!" Ranma cried looking back and forth   
between each parent widely, snatching the pan out of his  
moms grasp and throwing it down the hall.   
  
"Ranma-" Nodoka started but was cut off.  
  
"No, mom. I'm perfect fine. I toldja this last night.   
I'm just goin' through some changes, that's all," Ranma   
explained with calm and collective voice.   
  
"Ah! So my sons finally started puberty has he!"   
Genma exclaimed aloud, smacking Ranma on the back, and  
laughing loudly.  
  
"WHAT?!?!" Ranma shouted before taking a look   
inside his boxers. "What the hell are you talkin' about, Oyaji?   
I'm way past puberty!" he yelled angrily, though on the inside   
he was smiling. At least _that_ was the same.  
  
"Ranma-" Nodoka started again, before being cut off   
again.  
  
"No. We're through here, and I have a really long day   
ahead of me. We'll talk about this later," Ranma said   
seriously before running down the stairs at full speed. *No   
telling how long that conversation was gonna last or end!*   
  
Nodoka looked like she was about to burst into tears   
as she watched Ranma retreating form. "I fear for our sons   
sanity."  
  
Genma rolled his eyes. His wife always was over   
sensitive about things. "Don't worry dear, I'm sure it's just a   
phase," he said grinning reassuringly.   
  
When they arrived downstairs they were greeted by   
the sight that Nodoka had seen the other night. Ranma   
stuffing his face with food. Both parents watched in shock as   
Ranma put away all of his food and half of Genma's before   
Genma noticed something. Ranma was fully dressed, his hair   
was combed differently, he wasn't wearing his pocket   
protector and his glasses weren't on. Genma also noticed   
Ranma state of dress. His shirt wasn't tucked in and his pants   
actually looked baggy.  
  
Letting out a content burp, Ranma smiled gratefully at   
his mother. "Thanks mom! That was great!"   
  
"Son? Where are your glasses?" Genma asked.  
  
"I don't need them any more. I can see just fine with   
out them," Ranma explained in a tired voice.   
  
Genma frowned. Maybe Nodoka was right. Maybe   
their son was going insane.   
  
After he had finished in-hailing his food, Ranma   
stood up and turned to his parents. "Ok! I gotta a lot of things   
I need to do today. First, how much money do you have on   
you, pop?"  
  
"About 70'000 yen," Genma replied after looking   
through his wallet.  
  
"Good. Hand it over."   
  
Genma did.  
  
Ranma blinked. *That was easy.* "Ok. Now I'm   
going shopping and I probably wont be back for awhile.   
While I'm gone I need you two to pile up all of the cat crap in   
my room, in the backyard. A nice and neat pile too. Not a real   
messy one. I like them clean. You know, in one spot," Ranma   
said his mind starting to wandering.   
  
"Alright son. We'll do that," Genma said cautiously.   
  
"Good. I'm going now. Make sure you have my room   
cleaned out when I get back. Bye!," Ranma said before   
running out of the room.  
  
It was at that point that Nodoka burst into tears. "My   
son's insane!!!"  
  
Genma just headed toward the stairs. *Better clean   
out the boys room. No telling what my insane son will do if I   
don't.*   
  
*********   
  
"I still can't see how you two do that," Makoto   
commented as she, Rei and Ami watched Ranko and Usagi   
stuff their faces simultaneously.   
  
"Neither can I. What they're doing should be   
physically impossible," Ami added as she continued to stare   
at the two.   
  
"Hey, a martial artists' gotta eat," Ranko explained   
in-between bites.   
  
Usagi just continued to eat.   
  
"Hey, meatball head. Stop eating for a second," Rei   
said.  
  
Usagi stopped eating. Then she started again.   
  
"Dammit meatball head, stop eating," Rei demanded.   
  
"But I'm so hungry," Usagi whined before adding   
with a glare, "and don't call me meatball head."   
  
"First: you're always hungry, and second: I'll call you   
whatever I please, meatball head," Rei responded glaring   
back.  
  
The two continued glaring at each other, faces   
drawing closer until their noses were inches apart. It wasn't   
until Ranko shoved her hands in-between their faces did they   
stop. "Usagi, I think Rei was planning on asking you if   
Luna's found anything out about Sailor Venus," she   
whispered fiercely before continuing her meal.  
  
Breaking her glare, Usagi scratched the side of her   
head, a sweat drop forming. "Luna's been laying on my bed   
all week, doing nothing but thinking about where that "lazy   
Artemis is". I think she might have fried her brain," she   
explained before giggling.   
  
"Just like her owner," Rei remarked dryly.   
  
"What did you say?" Usagi asked having not heard   
the comment.  
  
"Nothing," Rei said before muttering, "brainless."  
  
"I heard that!" Usagi shouted, glaring once again.  
  
"And you didn't hear my other comment?" Rei asked   
perplexed.  
  
"What? Wait, what are we talking about?"  
  
Rei's face, I'd like to introduce you to Rei's food.  
  
Of course that gave Ranko a perfect view of what was   
behind Rei. "Ranma!" she shouted without even knowing it   
then covered her mouth with her hands embarrassed.   
  
Each of Ranko's fellow Senshi looked at her confused   
before saying their piece.  
  
"Ranma?" Ami asked.  
  
"Huh?" Rei asked raising her face from her food.  
  
"Why'd you have to shout so loud?" Usagi whined,   
incidently cleaning out her ears with some of her food.  
  
"Are you sure you don't have a crush on him?"   
Makoto teased.  
  
"One of you call me?" a voice asked from behind Rei.   
  
They all looked behind Rei at Ranma before staring in   
shock.  
  
*********  
  
*Backpack. Check. Camping supplies. Check. New   
clothes. Definite check. Weights. Check. 4'000 yen to spare.   
Check.* Ranma sighed as he finished checking off everything   
he had. He was walking through the mall, two bags, one in   
each hand and the backpack on his back. The backpack was   
filled with the weights, while the bag in his right was filled   
with clothes and the one in the left had a sleeping bag shoved   
into it.   
  
It was times like this that he wished he was stronger.   
Of course the whole point of buying all this stuff was so he   
could get stronger. An extended training trip was planned to   
get this body into shape and show it true pain. Though he had   
to admit, having a bokken shoved up your ass probably hurts   
a lot. He was planning on pushing his body to the max and   
more every day. With his experience he could have himself in   
good shape by Wednesday. He wouldn't be as strong as he   
was in _his_ old body, but at least he'd have some strength.   
He'd work his way up from there.   
  
It was at that point that his stomach made itself   
known, grumbling loudly. "Ah! The tell tale signs that lunch   
is drawing near," he said to himself. Standing up as straight   
as he could, Ranma sniffed the air. "Food's that'a way," he   
added before heading in the direction of food.   
  
After walking for about 2 minutes Ranma came upon   
a large food court. The smell of many different kinds of food   
wavered through his nose as he trudged further into the court.   
There must have been 14 different fast food restaurants   
placed in a large semicircle, numerous amounts of tables and   
seats in the open area.   
  
It didn't take long for Ranma to find the food, or   
rather smell the food he wanted. *Okonomiyaki!* He thought   
excitedly. Sure it wasn't Ucchan's, but it was still   
okonomiyaki.   
  
Readjusting his bags a bit, Ranma began to make his   
way to the okonomiyaki restaurant. He wasn't half way there   
when he heard, "Ranma!"   
  
Stopping in his tracks, Ranma began searching the   
tables for the speaker. The voice sounded really familiar, but   
strange when it had yelled his name. It didn't take long for   
him to spot his living cursed form. Taking a look at the   
okonomiyaki restaurant, Ranma sighed mournfully to himself   
before making his way over to Ranko and her friends.   
  
"One of you call me?" he asked when he reached   
them though he already knew who had. They all turned to   
look at him and just started staring. *What I do?* Ranma   
thought curiously.   
  
Makoto, who was on the other side of Ranko, jabbed   
her in the ribs reminding Ranko that she was the one who'd   
called. "Oh yeah! Er. . .hi," Ranko said lamely.  
  
Ranma blinked twice. "Yeah. . .hi," he answered back   
just as lamely. "Whatcha want?" he asked after a moment of   
silence.  
  
"I was just wonder what you were doing here," Ranko   
said smiling slightly.   
  
"Um. . .shopping," Ranma replied eyeing Ranko   
oddly.   
  
"Oh yeah! What else would you do in a mall?"   
Ranko laughed nervously.  
  
Ranma glance at the okonomiyaki restaurant before   
replying plainly, "eat."  
  
"Oh yeah! Eat. Heh. Completely forgot about that,"   
Ranko said embarrassed.   
  
Ranma's reply was cut off when Rei asked the   
obvious. "Where're your glasses?"   
  
Looking down at Rei, Ranma sustained the urge to   
laugh out loud before responding, "I got rid of them, food   
face."   
  
While Rei puzzled over the 'food face' comment,   
Ami stated, "I thought that you were virtually blind without   
your glasses."  
  
"Actually,I'm blind when I put them on."   
  
"Contact lenses?" Ami asked.  
  
"Nope. I just woke up being able to see," Ranma   
answered plainly. It wasn't a lie. He did wake up being able   
to see.  
  
"How-" Ami started before getting cut off.  
  
"Whathappenedtoyou?" Usagi cut in at an incredible   
speed.  
  
"Say wha?" Ranma asked not catching what she had   
said.   
  
"She asked 'what happened to you'?" Ranko   
answered for Usagi.  
  
"Um. . .lets just say that through all that screaming   
yesterday I came to a realization about my life," Ranma said   
before readjusting his bags again.   
  
"You know you're dead on Monday, right?" Rei   
asked.   
  
Ranma looked down at Rei and once again held his   
laughter in check. "Dead? You're joking right?"  
  
"No way! Kuno-sempai and Akane are seriously   
gonna kill you!" Makoto all but shouted.   
  
"Yeah. All Akane's been doing lately is swearing that   
she's gonna rip your head off and flush it down a toilet,"   
Ranko explained grabbing Usagi in a headlock and   
pretending to pull her head off.   
  
"Hey! Let go!" Usagi whined, arms flailing about.   
  
"I'll be fine. With what I bought they wont be a   
problem for me." Ranma replied with a wave of the hand. Or   
would have if he wasn't carry his shopping bags.   
  
"So. . .um. . .what did you buy?" Ranko asked   
nervously.   
  
*Why's she so nervous?* Ranma thought looking at   
Ranko, eyebrows furrowed. Then he smiled."Well in this   
bag," Ranma said lifting the bag full of clothes a bit, "I have   
a 9mm and in my backpack I have a home made bomb. Next   
time I see either of them. . .bang!" he said smiling the whole   
time.   
  
Their reactions varied as such:  
  
Usagi fainted, falling backwards in her chair.  
  
Ranko shifted in her chair, looking ready to pounce.  
  
Ami covered her smile with her hand.  
  
Makoto backed away, eyes wide, mouth agape.   
  
Rei stared completely in shock not even noticing   
when one of the noodles stuck to her face slowly fell off.   
  
Ranma's face twitched uncontrollably.  
  
"You're joking, right?" Ami asked amused.  
  
Ranma started laughing uncontrollably, nearly falling   
over as he did so. "That. . .was one of the. . .funniest. . .   
things I've ever. . .seen!" he choked out through his laughter.   
  
"I thought that you were. I could see it in your face,"   
Ami said after her laughter subsided.   
  
"I don't see what's so funny?" Makoto asked angrily   
after regaining her composure.   
  
"Usagi. . .fell over!" Ranma laughed, pointing at   
Usagi. "And food face. . .hahahaha!" he continued to laugh,   
trying to clutch his sides.   
  
"I don't think it was that funny," Ranko said from   
where she was fanning Usagi. "You scared the shit out of  
poor Usagi here."   
  
"I'm. . .I'm sorry. It just came out," Ranma replied   
after he got control over his laughter. "I really just got some   
clothes, this backpack and the sleeping bag here," he added   
only mentioning the noticeable.   
  
"WHAT TYPE OF SICK JOKE WAS THAT?!" Rei   
shouted suddenly in his face.  
  
Ranma tried to hold it in, he really did,   
"Hahahahahahahahahhahaha!" but seeing Rei's angry noodle   
covered face made him start laughing all over again. This   
time however Ranma didn't get off so easily. Pop! "Ow!   
By dose!" he shouted dropping his bag and covering his face   
with his hands.  
  
"Serves you right, jerk," Rei angrily before sitting   
down, her back to him.   
  
Rubbing his nose, Ranma replied, "You didn't   
have'ta hit me so hard."  
  
"Well it does serve you right for laughing at her like   
that," Ranko said as she propped Usagi back up in her chair.   
  
"It's not my fault she has strange eating habits,"   
Ranma said as he picked up his shopping bags.   
  
"Huh? What are you talking. . .?" Ranko started   
before finally getting a good look at Rei's face and   
unknowingly "Hahahahahahah!" copied Ranma.   
  
"You want one too, Ranko?" Rei asked waving her   
fist threateningly.   
  
Waving her arms in front of her face, Ranko replied   
through her laughter, "No! No! It's just that your face is   
covered with noodles."   
  
"Huh?" Rei said uncharacteristically before she felt   
her face. "Eep!" She quickly wiped the noodles from her face   
before turning to glare at Ranma. "Hey? Where'd he go?"  
  
"Huh?" everybody replied, even Usagi's who had   
just woken up, before they started looking around for him.  
  
They continued to look for him with now luck.   
Where'd he go? How'd he disappear like that? Finally after   
five minutes Ranko stood up and walked away from the table.  
  
*********  
  
"Huh? What are you talking. . .?" Ranko said before   
she started laughing. "Hahahahahahah!"  
  
That's when Ranma had made his move. While Rei   
wiped her face clean he quickly and quietly walked away   
from the group. Not that he didn't mind talking to them, but   
he was starving. They were also the only girls he ever met   
who didn't immediately fall for him in one way or another.   
  
Making his way over to the okonomiyaki restaurant, a   
thought occurred to Ranma. *Usagi Tsukino. Rei Hino.   
Makoto Kino. Ami Mizuno. Where have I heard those names   
before.* Ranma knew he had heard those names before, but   
he couldn't place them.   
  
After waiting in line and buying his okonomiyaki with   
the last of his money, Ranma went in search of a seat,   
balancing his tray of food on his head. Weaving his way   
through the table, Ranma attracted quite a few stares as   
balancing a tray of okonomiyaki on your head would. Putting   
his okonomiyaki down on a small table for two, he was about   
to sit down when someone tapped him on the shoulder.   
Sighing to himself, he turned to the tapper.   
  
"Hi!" Ranko said cheerfully, smiling brightly.   
  
Ranma nearly fell over from the uncharacteristic   
greeting. "Er. . yeah, hi," he replied looking Ranko over. She   
was wearing a red Chinese shirt like the kind he usually wore   
except this one fit better around her smaller frame. Instead of   
long black pants, she was wearing a short black skirt that   
didn't help to conceal her long, shapely legs. *Wow! I never   
knew I was so hot! No wonder Kuno was always chasing me   
around!* Then realization hit him. *Ack! I'm getting turned   
on by myself!*  
  
"So whatcha doing?" Ranko asked pleasantly, rolling   
on the balls of her heels, hands behind her back.   
  
Ranma's stomach grumbled. "I was about to eat," he   
said rubbing the back of his head, blushing faintly.   
  
Ranko giggled, thinking, *Wow, Usagi was right. He   
is cute without his glasses. Too bad he's a wuss.* Ranko's   
idea of the man she wanted wasn't that far off from what she   
was. She wanted a man with strength, a good heart, honor,   
good looks, wasn't Kuno, and could back her up in a fight if   
she needed it. Taking a peak over Ranma's shoulder, Ranko   
became excited at what she saw. "Wow! I didn't know you   
liked okonomiyaki!"  
  
*There's a lot about me you don't know.* Ranma   
thought but said instead, "Yeah, it's one of my favorites."   
  
"Mine too!" Ranko exclaimed excitedly, still eyeing   
the okonomiyaki.  
  
"What a coincidence." Ranma remarked plainly while   
eyeing Ranko. He didn't like the way she was staring at his   
okonomiyaki.   
  
"You gonna eat all that?" Ranko asked   
subconsciously moving closer to the food.  
  
"Yes," Ranma answered. He was hungry and he   
wasn't gonna share.  
  
"Can I have some?" Ranko asked looking at Ranma,   
eyes shining innocently.   
  
"Um. . .er. . .ehh . . . ugh . . . *sigh* sure." Ranma   
relented. It didn't help that he was a sucker when it came to   
making a girl sad. It also didn't help that his nerd personality   
was a sucker for sad girls too. The fact that his personality   
and his nerd personality were becoming one just made it   
worse.   
  
"Thanks!" Ranko said before sitting down at the other   
side of the table, eyes never leaving the okonomiyaki.  
  
Placing his bags and backpack on the ground, Ranma   
took the seat across from her. Using a knife, he cut a small   
piece off and handed it to Ranko. "Here."  
  
"This is it? I was expecting more," Ranko said   
frowning at the size of the piece.   
  
"How much were you expecting?" Ranma asked,   
eyebrow raised.   
  
"I don't know. Maybe 3/4." Ranko replied tearing her   
gaze from the food to look at Ranma.  
  
Ranma face-faulted *Did I not just say I was going to   
eat all of it, or was that my imagination?* he thought but   
asked incredulously, "Didn't you just eat?"  
  
"Yeah, but I'm still hungry," Ranko responded   
looking back at the okonomiyaki.  
  
"Wow! I'm surprised you're not really fat," Ranma   
exclaimed, again admiring Ranko's figure.  
  
"What?" Ranko asked looking at Ranma again, this   
glaring a little bit.   
  
"I mean, uh. . .for someone who eats so much, you   
sure are skinny. Yeah, that's it!" Ranma said nervously.  
  
Ranko's glare hardened.  
  
*Think fast! What would make me happy?* Ranma   
thought before cutting another piece from his okonomiyaki   
and pushing to her. "Here, you can have half!"  
  
"Thanks!" Ranko said enthused before she and   
Ranma both started eating. "Wow! You eat just like me and   
Usagi!" she commented after she finished her half. Ranma   
was eating at a pace that rivaled Usagi's but not her own.   
Ranko was much faster thanks to her martial arts training.   
*Strange. I never would've thought Ranma could eat like   
this.*  
  
Ranma looked up at Ranko, food hanging from his   
mouth before replying, "Huh. . .wha?" he swallowed the food   
before looking Ranko in the eyes and adding, "Oh! Hehe.   
Yeah, I guess I do," then started eating again.  
  
With that brief moment of eye contact, Ranko saw   
something. Something she'd never seen before. She wasn't   
sure what it was, but there was something in his eye that   
caught her. There was something different about them.   
Realizing she was staring, Ranko turned away blushing   
brightly. This didn't go unnoticed by Ranma.  
  
"Hey, you alright?" Ranma asked peering closely at   
Ranko, making her blush even harder. She didn't want to   
look at his eyes again. "You're all red."  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I just ate to fast," Ranko   
replied nervously, still not willing to look at Ranma.   
  
Here comes Ranma's great knowledge of women.   
"Oh! Okay." Then he went back to eating.  
  
Ranko blinked, but decided not to comment on   
Ranma's poor eyesight. *I guess he can't see perfectly.* she   
thought then asked, "Can I ask you a question?"   
  
"You just did."  
  
Ranko sighed. Since when did Ranma act like this.   
"Can I ask another question, without this being it?"  
  
Having finished stuffing his face, Ranma looked at   
Ranko and nodded.  
  
"Who gave you the right to use the 'Anything Goes'   
name?" Ranko asked glaring a little bit.  
  
"The Mutsubetsu Kakuto Saotome Ryu. It's my   
families school," Ranma responded sounding confused. Had   
she never heard of it? How could one 'Anything Goes   
School' not hear about the other?  
  
Ranko gave Ranma an incredulous look. "There is no   
Saotome School of Anything Goes," she said in a dead voice.  
  
Ranma blinked, then gave Ranko an incredulous look   
of her own. "You're kidding right?"   
  
"I think I'd know if there was one."   
  
"Shit. Crap. Poop," Ranma said to himself. "Are you   
sure?"  
  
It was Ranko's turn to blink. "Yeah, I'm sure," she   
replied nodding her head, pigtail bouncing around behind her   
back.  
  
With that said, Ranma stood from the table and began   
picking up his bags. *There's no Saotome School? Not for   
long! What the hell does Oyaji do for a living anyway?*   
Ranma thought angrily. Being heir to the Saotome School   
was what he'd been trained to be. To take over the school and   
now there wasn't one.   
  
"Wait! Where're you going?" Ranko asked suddenly   
in front of him.   
  
Ranma couldn't help but notice the way her breasts   
moved because of her abrupt movements. "Ah. . .I gotta go.   
Things to do," Ranma said slight red. *Stop looking at   
yourself, you pervert!*   
  
"Like what?" Ranko asked curiously.  
  
*Should I tell her?* Ranma thought before coming to   
a decision. "I'm going on camping trip. Probably wont be   
back til Wednesday."   
  
"To avoid Akane and Kuno-sempai?"  
  
"Sorta. Look I gotta go. I gotta lota things to do,"   
Ranma replied anxiously. He really wanted to get out of   
there. Not only so he could start his training, but so he could   
get away from his cute bubbly self.   
  
"Oh. Ok. Well, cya!" Ranko exclaimed brightly and   
loudly, causing Ranma to nearly topple over again.   
  
As Ranko turn to go, Ranma asked, "You're Akane's   
cousin, right?"  
  
Turning around, Ranko simply replied, "Yeah?"  
  
"Weird shit," Ranma muttered before turning around   
and walking away.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ranko called to his   
retreating form.  
  
Ranma just shrugged his shoulders. To hell if he   
knew.   
  
*********  
  
"So? Did you enjoy your date?" Makoto asked   
smiling mischievously.  
  
"What'd you two talk about?" Usagi all but shouted,   
staring eagerly at Ranko.  
  
Ranko retook her seat before replying in a serious   
voice, "Nothing much, but I think we should keep an eye on   
him though. He's acting really weird. I think he might have   
made a deal with a youma or something." *We'll see on   
Monday if he really did go on a camping trip.*  
  
"If he did make a deal with Queen Beryl, I'm the one   
who gets to cream him," Rei said angrily.  
  
"What are you so angry about?" Ranko asked.   
  
"He could've a least told me I had food on my face."  
  
"I think he did. Remember he kept calling you 'food   
face'?" Usagi commented actually looking thoughtful.   
  
"Oh, shut up meatball head!" Rei barked.  
  
"Wah!!!!!!!!!!" Anime characters guide to crying,   
101.  
  
*********  
  
In a remote area of China, a man, who has absolutely   
nothing to do with this story, fell over.   
  
*********  
  
In a house found in Nerima, a girl, who does has   
something to do with this story, muttered, "I'm gonna rip his   
fucking head off and flush it down a toilet."  
  
*********  
  
After making his way home, Ranma immediately   
made his way up to his room. He was pleased to find that all   
cat 'crap' had been removed and was surprised when he saw a   
sheathed sword hanging over his bed. Looking at the sword   
closely, he could recall some memories of time he spent with   
his mother learning how to use it. *Phef! Weapons. Who   
needs em?*   
  
Dumping the clothes he purchased on the floor,   
Ranma quickly stuffed them into the backpack. After tying   
his sleeping bag to the bottom, he walked over to his closet,   
opened it and began pulling out every article of clothing that   
he didn't like. Putting on his backpack then picking up the   
clothes he'd pulled from the closet, Ranma, as quickly as he   
could, trudged out of his room and to the back yard. He was   
treated to a sight that pleased him.  
  
In the middle of the yard was a neat pile of pictures   
and other assorted 'Hello Kitty' stuff. Dumping his clothes in   
a pile next to the other, Ranma placed his backpack a few feet   
away before getting in a calm stance. This is where his   
training would begin.   
  
Gathering all the confidence he could, Ranma tried   
pushing all the ki he could feel in his body outward. He   
didn't know if he had an aura yet, but he wasn't going give   
up until he got one. Drawing upon more of his confidence,   
Ranma concentrated harder. *I gotta do this!* he thought   
glaring angrily at the pile. *Come on. I can do this. I'm the   
best! I can do this! Come on!* he mentally shouted at   
himself.   
  
Without warning he felt it. It was really small, but it   
was there. Extending his arms to the pile of 'Hello Kitty'   
stuff, Ranma began concentrating even harder. Sweat poured   
down his face and for four whole minutes nothing happened.   
Finally, a small blue ball, about the size of a golf ball,   
appeared in his hands. With all his might, Ranma shot the   
ball at the pile before falling over from exhaustion.   
  
Wiping some of the sweat from his face, Ranma   
looked to the pile of clothes. Then he glanced back to the   
burning pile of what he considered cat crap. *Hell no!*   
Pushing himself to his feet, he slowly made his way into the   
house and into the kitchen. Picking up a pad of paper, he   
wrote a note to his parents and stuck it to the fridge. Opening   
a nearby draw, Ranma picked up what he was looking for and   
walked to the backyard again.   
  
Striking the match on his knee, Ranma casually tossed   
it onto the pile a clothes. Letting the piles burn, he slowly   
walked over to the garden hose before putting the cat crap   
piles flames out. After watching the pile of clothes burn for a   
considerable amount of time, he put those out as well.   
  
Quickly turning off the hose, he made his way over to   
his fathers barbeque. Picking up a small bag of charcoal and   
tucking it under his arm, Ranma ran straight for the outer   
walls. Jumping as hard as he could, he flew face first into the   
wall. Climbing to his feet, Ranma muttered, "when I get   
back, I'm going to personally kick you." Making his way   
around the house, he casually, or as casual as someone who   
just ran into a wall could, walked out of the Saotome   
compound and headed for the nearest forest.   
  
Nodoka returned 30 minutes later, a shopping bag in   
each arm. Placing them down on the kitchen counter, she was   
about to put away the eggs when she saw Ranma's note.   
  
'Gone on a camping trip alone. Be back on   
Wednesday, maybe.  
Ranma'   
  
When Genma returned and walked to the kitchen, his   
only reply was, "Looks like I'll need the mop again."   
  
Next Time: Training Trip  
See what fun Ranma has on a training trip and what the  
others do while he's gone. ^_^;  
  
Authors Notes: 32 pages! I never thought this chapter was   
gonna end. At first I was thinking of including the training   
trip with this chapter but decided against it. One thing, this   
world's gonna get a lot more messed up as I go along. Hope   
you enjoyed it! ^_^  
Email me at Hawk49er@attbi.com  
http://www.geocities.com/furikuri83/index.html 


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The characters of Ranma ½ belong to Rumiko   
Takakashi. The characters of Sailor Moon belong to Naoko   
Takeuchi. If they belonged to me, I wouldn't be writing this   
I'd be swimming in my pool of cash. I wouldn't bother suing   
me either. I got nothing you want.  
  
MeSsEd Up!  
A Ranma ½ / Sailor Moon Crossover!  
By Hawk  
C&C welcome, as well as flames at Hawk49er@attbi.com  
(Revised Version)  
  
Note: I'm hoping I can really mess this story up. Not in a bad   
way mind you, but in a way that makes it way different from   
the original. ^_^. You'll understand what I'm talking about   
when you read it. This takes place after Ranma's battle with   
Saffron. There is some swearing in it, not a lot and it's   
somewhat limish. Hope you enjoy! ^_^  
  
Chapter 2 - Training Trip  
  
Oh the joys of training!  
  
Saturday, around 3:35 p.m.   
  
Ranma sighed as he looked around the forest he was   
in. "This'll be perfect." The current area he was standing   
in had a number of rather large boulders off to the side. The   
trees were rather thick and would be able to stand up to a lot   
of punishment. As he felt the water of the nearby pond he   
noticed it was ice cold, most likely fresh snow melt from the   
mountain   
  
Stretching his arms, Ranma walked back to where   
he'd left his backpack. Dropping to the ground, he   
immediately started to do pushups. By the time he reached   
his 15th, he was tired and sweating slightly. Letting himself   
fall to the ground, Ranma let out an annoyed breath. *15!   
Pathetic! I could do 15 one-handed pushups in 20 seconds   
before.* Catching his breath, he started again.   
  
Around 5:00 and 300 excruciating pushups later,   
Ranma dropped to the ground completely spent. The muscles   
in his arms ached as he painstakingly and literally dragged   
himself to his backpack. Pulling a water bottle from it, he   
quickly and clumsily downed the ice cold water inside.   
Laying down on the ground, Ranma closed his eyes thinking,   
*15 minutes then it's back to work.*  
  
15 minutes later he was at it again. Forcing himself to   
the limit, Ranma continued his pushups. His arms felt as if   
they were burning, weak from the constant use. Taking deep,   
ragged breaths, Ranma gritted his teeth as he pushed himself   
up once again. God, he felt like his arms were going to burst!   
But still be pushed himself harder.   
  
Having used all his strength, Ranma's arms gave way   
causing him to fall lamely. Blowing away the dirt near his   
mouth, he rolled over and immediately started doing sit-ups.   
Well actually he was just trying to plain sit-up. But it sure   
looked like he was trying to do sit-up exercises!  
  
*********  
  
In a house known by many as the Tendo home, a   
young girl, feared by many, sat with her older sister.   
  
"I'm gonna rip his fucking head off and flush it down   
a toilet," Akane growled, hands clenched, eyes narrowed in   
anger.   
  
Nabiki sighed, "Sister dear, I sympathize with how   
angry you are at Saotome, but constantly listening to you   
curse him like that is getting annoying."  
  
"I can't help it! The bastard used my schools' name!   
_MY_ schools name! And for a pathetic excuse for a   
technique like that too! He is sooo dead!" Akane all but   
shouted. She was pissed!   
  
"Just remember to take his lunch money before you   
kill him," Nabiki said in a monotone voice.   
  
"Hmph!" Akane stood up, hands clenched at her sides   
and left the room. Of course not before growling under her   
breath, "I'm gonna rip his fucking head off and flush it down   
a toilet."   
  
Nabiki spun around in her chair, rubbed her forehead   
and looked at her computer. She smiled when she went over   
the weeks final payments. They'd made a 20'000 yen profit   
off of peoples lunch money, and 14'000 yen off of   
information but they'd made a 35'000 yen profit from   
pictures of Ranko alone. If she could get rid of the 'Virtuous   
Kendo Men' she estimated the 'Red Hammers' would make   
at least double what they'd made.   
  
Nobody knew it, except for Akane, but she was the   
actual leader of the 'Red Hammers'. Without her at the helm   
the 'Red Hammers' would be nothing. She took care of the   
money they made. She took care of the gang members   
payments, and she told Akane who to bully and who not too.   
Without her, the 'Virtuous Kendo Men' would rule Furinkan.   
Now if only she could get rid of them.   
  
Actually . . . she just might have a way to get rid of   
them. There always was that Green Dragon fighter . . .   
  
*********  
  
Ranko wiped the thin line of sweat from her forehead.   
It wasn't from practicing a kata or from any other strenuous   
task, but from the steam coming from the pot below her face.   
Dipping a spoon into the pot, she tasted the miso soup she   
was cooking.   
  
Ever since Kasumi left the Tendo home to pursue the   
work she loved, though she didn't approve of it much, Ranko   
had taken over the cooking and most of the household chores.   
Her Uncle, Soun, help her with the chores of course, mainly   
because he hardly ever had anything to do around the house.   
With Kasumi financially supporting the family, Soun had   
virtually retired. Ranko didn't approve of what Kasumi   
choose as a career, thinking she'd make a much better doctor   
or nurse, but if Kasumi liked what she was doing, Ranko   
wasn't going to complain.  
  
Besides, like Akane or Nabiki would or could do any   
of the things she did around the house. Ranko shuddered at   
the thought of Akane cooking the family dinner. The last time   
Akane had "cooked" no one wanted to eat it so she'd   
threatened Ranko before shoving it down her throat. After   
puking it back out, Ranko watched as Akane packed it up and   
then force fed all of it to Ranma the next day.   
  
*She probably cooked it just so she could do that.*   
Ranko thought a bit angrily. She didn't like how Akane and   
Nabiki seemed to focus most of their attention of Ranma, but   
mainly she just didn't like what they did.   
  
Tasting the miso soup again, Ranko picked up a   
shaker of salt, flipped it over the pot and caught it with her   
other hand. Salt fell carefully and cleanly into the soup   
causing her to smile. She was getting better at that every day.   
Of course, she had to thank the ten-year training trip her   
father took her on.   
  
Her father had taken her on a ten-year training trip   
when she turned six years old. They had traveled all over   
Japan and some areas of China too. Since her father was a   
terrible cook, she took over the responsibility so they   
wouldn't starve to death. When she turned sixteen they had   
gone home, but that was where the accident happened.   
  
Her life hadn't become any easier afterwards. Moving   
in with her Uncle and adjusting to Akane and Nabiki's way   
of life was hard enough, especially with the two of them   
always asking her to join their gang. Then there was Kuno-  
sempai and the horde of perverted boys that followed him.   
Taking care of the daily chores and the cooking. And then,   
last but not least, the Senshi. Being a Devil Hunter, she'd ran   
into the Senshi one day while fighting off an attacking   
demon. They'd quickly joined forces to beat the demon and   
became fast friends afterwards, something Ranko was   
happy to have. That and fighting against Queen Beryl's   
youma's, including all the other stuff she had to deal with   
didn't leave her with much free time. Saturdays and Sundays   
were the only days she ever had any.   
  
Checking the teriyaki chicken, shrimp tempura and   
miso soup one last time, Ranko turned off the stove and   
called everyone to dinner.  
  
*********  
  
7:32   
Saturday night   
The out skirts of Nerima.  
X-files theme: "Do do do do do do, do do do do do do, do-"   
Slap Ok, the author will stop now.   
  
"What do you think it is?"   
  
"Don't know, but whatever it is, if it keeps growing,   
it's gonna cause the time stream to go crazy."   
  
"But that's good, right? Whatever the hell this thing   
is, it'll cause Sailor Pluto a lot of aggravation."   
  
"Yeah. It should."  
  
"You think it's on our side?"   
  
"Not sure. With the amount of chaos it could emit, I   
wouldn't be surprised, but we can't be sure."  
  
"Any clue how it got here?"  
  
"Not one."   
  
"At least it's not on the damn Senshi's side."  
  
*********  
  
*Ugh! Five!* Ranma thought tiredly as he finally   
finished his fifth pull-up. Of course, relaxing his arms   
afterwards wasn't that good of an idea. Ranma became   
immediate dead weight on the tree branch he was using,   
causing it to snap. He landed on the ground hard then had the   
pleasure of having the branch land on his stomach, knocking   
the wind out of him.   
  
Pushing the branch off himself, Ranma let his head   
touch the ground. He was still exhausted from the many   
pushups he'd done earlier, but he wasn't giving in. As long as   
he had strength he intended to use it. Catching his breath,   
Ranma waited for his arms to cool off when he smelled   
something burning. And why was his foot getting really hot   
all of the sudden?  
  
Glancing down at his feet, Ranma realized what was   
wrong. His right foot had landed in the fire he'd set-up earlier   
and was currently catching fire. He must've frowned at it for   
five minutes before he realized that his foot was actually on   
fire. Removing his foot from the flame, he lay his head back   
down and tried to get some rest. As his foot continued to   
burn, Ranma shrugged his shoulders. It was good training in   
the end.  
  
*********  
  
"Say again?" Gosunkugi asked rubbing his forehead.   
He was getting a serious headache. Of course, he always got   
headaches when Kuno was involved. *Psychotic moron.   
Can't even speak properly, damn barbarian.* he thought   
tiredly.  
  
"I questioned thee as to what thee plans to do about   
the vile bitch Ten Do Akane," Kuno said again, arms folded   
as he looked down at the Gosunkugi who was sitting behind a   
large desk.   
  
Rubbing his face with both hands, Gosunkugi replied,   
"I've got something planned for her," he said simply before   
folding his hands in front of his face.   
  
"What doth thou have planned and why haven't thee   
told me of it!?" Kuno growled through clenched teeth,   
glaring angrily at the extremely calm figure in front of him.   
  
Peering over his folded hand, Gosunkugi simply   
answered, "Because you don't need to know yet. When the   
time comes you will be informed." His eyes bore straight into   
Kuno, unfazed by the withering glare he was receiving.   
  
Kuno left the room in a hurry. Sometimes he just   
couldn't stand Gosunkugi's eyes. He also couldn't   
understand how Gosunkugi could stare him in the eye and not   
feel the least bit intimidated.  
  
"That man is a moron. Good fighter, but a complete   
moron," Gosunkugi mumbled, eyes never leaving the door   
Kuno had walked through.  
  
"Yes, he is an idiot, isn't he. The plan is going along   
schedule, correct?" a soft voice asked from all the shadows of   
the room.   
  
"The plan is exactly on schedule, Ebony Shadow,"   
Gosunkugi replied, eyes hardening. "Everything's going   
according to plan."   
  
"It better be. Mother would sooo hate to have it not   
be. And you know how mother tends to get when she's mad,"   
Ebony Shadow said, her voice coming from every shadow.   
  
Gosunkugi nodded his head seriously, eyes having   
never left the door, mouth still behind his folded hands.   
Classic Gendo Ikari.   
  
*********  
  
Ranma once again relaxed his muscles as he   
completed his 20th sit-up. His foot still stung like hell from   
the fire, but he ignored it the best he could. After letting his   
foot burn for about five minutes, he had literally hopped,   
albeit slowly and tiredly, his way over to the pond before   
putting the fire out with a content sigh. What happened   
afterward Ranma hoped to forget.   
  
He had cupped a large amount of water in his hands   
and was about to drink it when the reasonable side of his   
brain struck. *What am I doing?* he thought shaking his   
head side-to-side.  
  
*Getting something to drink.* his instinctive side   
thought before bringing his hands closer to his mouth.  
  
*Wait a minute! I can't drink this!* his reasonable   
side suddenly countered.  
  
*But why not? It's just water.*  
  
*Oh yeah! Frogs and fishes always shooting their   
sperm around, I'll probably end up drinking a handful of-*   
  
"Ack!" Ranma abruptly threw the pond water into the   
air and fell back onto his butt. "So what am I supposed to   
drink?" he asked aloud, Splash right before the water   
landed on his head. He was about to lick the water off his   
lips, but stopped when he heard a frog croak. Looking to the   
side, Ranma noticed a small yellow and green frog perched   
on a nearby rock. Once again he was about to lick his lips,   
but stopped when he saw the frog wink at him in what looked   
like a suggestive way. Ranma looked out at the pond,   
blinked, then at the frog before blinking again. Then he   
looked at the pond and blinked once more.   
  
*Ok . . . _that_ was just plain messed up.* he thought   
before wiping the water from his face.   
  
"So what am I gonna drink?" he asked again.   
  
*Got it!*   
  
Ranma sighed tiredly as he finished his 26th sit-up   
then swallow what little spit he had in his dehydrated mouth.  
  
*That's the last time I listen to you brain.* he thought   
angrily.  
  
*Oh, when have you ever?* his brain shot back.  
  
". . .shut up," Ranma muttered after a moment of not   
trying to think of what to say.   
  
*********  
  
In a home owned by the Tsukino's, a girl who wore   
odango's in her hair by day and fought the Negaverse by   
night . . . and day too I guess, dreamt of dancing ice cream   
cones and her beloved Tuxedo Mask.  
  
*********  
  
In the Hino home, one Rei Hino dreamt of forcing one   
Usagi Tsukino to eat meatballs the size of the odango's in her   
hair.   
  
*********  
  
In Kino's apartment, Makoto dreamt of her old   
sempai's face, whatever the hell it looked like.   
  
*********  
  
In the Mizuno home, Ami dreamt of solving   
unsolvable math equations (Is that possible?).  
  
*********  
  
In the Tendo home, Akane dreamed about ripping off   
Ranma's head and flushing it down a toilet.  
  
Also in the Tendo home, Ranko went to sleep trying   
not to dream about Ranma eyes.  
  
*********   
  
As he slept, Ranma dreamed about the first time he   
kicked Kuno's ass. It was a very good dream. Well it was   
until Kuno's head turned into that of a frogs and started   
winking at him.  
  
Sometime during the night, ever so slightly, Ranma's   
muscles grew larger on their own. Of course he didn't know   
that.   
  
*********  
  
In the Kuno mansion, Tatewaki dreamt of his beloved   
Ranko being in his loving embrace.   
  
*********  
  
Ranko shuddered in her sleep.   
  
*********  
  
Sunday:  
  
"Wow! I feel great!" Ranma exclaimed stretching his   
arms. He'd woken up and didn't feel any soreness in his   
body. He wasn't sure why, but hey! Who's he to look a gift   
horse in the eye? Seeing as he hardly ever got any that is.   
  
Smirking happily, Ranma ran straight at a nearby tree,   
jumped up placing both his feet on the trunk and attempted to   
back flip off of it. The key word here is 'attempted'. After   
lifting his face off of the ground, Ranma turned to the tree   
and glared angrily. "You and the wall. You and the wall," he   
said simply.  
  
*********  
  
Setsuna Meiou, a.k.a. Sailor Pluto, a.k.a. The   
Guardian of the Time Gate, a.k.a. Dr. Meiou, a.k.a. The   
Emotionless Wonder, a.k.a. The oldest Senshi, a.k.a. The   
wisest Senshi, a.k.a. The green haired Senshi, a.k.a. The   
calmest Senshi, a.k.a. The red-eyed Senshi, a.k.a. If you think   
I'm making a joke then you're wrong because sooner or later   
I'm gonna use these, a.k.a. I can't help it if I think she's gotta   
a lot of A.K.A.'s awoke with a start. Something wasn't right.   
She wasn't sure what it was, but it was emitting a small   
amount of chaos. And growing larger every second.  
  
Whatever is was, it could seriously mess up the time   
stream if it continued to grow and that was something she   
didn't need. So far Sailor Venus, Sailor Uranus, Sailor   
Neptune, and Sailor Saturn hadn't been found and they still   
had the Negaverse to deal with. She really didn't need more   
problems, and there was no telling what this _thing_ would   
do to the time stream.  
  
"Looks like I'm going to have to call another   
meeting."   
  
*********  
  
For the fifth time that day, Ranma shoved his foot   
into the rocky cliff. Taking a deep breath, he reached up for a   
higher rock before grabbing and pulling himself up. Freeing   
his foot, he continued to climb up the steep 16 foot tall cliff.   
Reaching the top once again, Ranma did what most other   
people would call crazy.   
  
Letting go of the cliffs ledge, he aimed for the most   
jagged parts of the cliff wall he could see on the way down.   
Bouncing of the wall three times after letting go, Ranma hit   
the ground Thump rather loudly and painfully. Groaning   
loudly, Ranma rolled over onto his back and felt his crotch   
area. Still in one piece.   
  
"This just keeps getting better and better," he moaned   
pitifully. Spreading his arms and legs, Ranma relaxed his   
body and lay where he landed for 15 minutes. Then he was   
climbing again.   
  
*********  
  
"We're all here. Whatdaya want?" Ranko asked as all   
the found Senshi sat around a table in Dr. Meiou's clinic.   
  
"I've got some bad news," the oldest Senshi said   
calmly. See I've used one already.  
  
"Hold it! Hold it! Hold it! Why is it that every time   
you call us over it's to tell us bad news? Do you never have   
good news, or do you just like being the bearer of bad news?"   
Rei complained looking at Setsuna narrow eyed.   
  
"I take it your fire readings didn't warn you of this?"   
Setsuna asked completely ignoring the look Rei was giving   
her. Lesson 35 in Setsuna's 'Turn the conversation against   
someone else' training. 'Ask about Rei's fire readings'.  
  
"Um . . . actually . . . I haven't done a fire reading for   
awhile now," Rei responded hesitantly.  
  
Setsuna resisted the urge to smile and instead gave   
Rei what she considered an upset look. Of course, to the   
others it looked like she was just plain looking at Rei.   
"Something, I'm not sure what, appeared over night. It's   
emitting chaos and every second it's getting larger." Then her   
face did something.  
  
"Oh shit! We're screwed!" Ranko exclaimed, wide   
eyed.  
  
Usagi broke into a cold sweat, but asked as calmly as   
she could, "It couldn't be that bad, could it?" Really, it   
couldn't be _that_ bad.   
  
"ARE YOU DENSE MEATBALL HEAD!? SHE'S   
FROWNING FOR CHRIST SAKE!" Rei screamed into   
Usagi's face while pointing at Setsuna's frown.  
  
"You're right! We're doomed!" Usagi wailed before   
Wah bursting into tears. "But I'm to young to die! I   
haven't even found out who Tuxedo Mask is yet!"  
  
Luna sweat dropped from where she stood on the   
table.  
  
"Now, now. I'm sure that we're not doomed.   
Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it," Makoto said trying   
to calm Usagi down though on the inside she was just as   
freaked. *Oh God we're screw! And I never had a chance to   
reconcile with . . . um . . . my old sempai! Damn, I wish I   
could remember his name!*  
  
"Have you gone nuts!? Setsuna's frowning! This is   
the Emotionless Wonder here! When has she ever frowned   
before!?" Rei shouted incredulously into Makoto face.   
  
"Ok. Ok. Maybe we are screwed, but I asked for the  
news not the weather," Makoto replied while wiping the   
spit off her face.   
  
Rei gave Makoto a 'you're an idiot' look.  
  
*I wonder if they'll do this every time I frown.*   
Setsuna thought before frowning even deeper.  
  
Luna fell off the table and did not land on her feet.   
  
Usagi stopped ranting immediately and fainted,   
falling on top of Luna.  
  
"Get . . . her . . . off!" Luna croaked.   
  
"We're screwed. We're screwed. We're screwed.   
We're screwed," Ranko kept muttering rocking back and   
forth in her seat.  
  
*I think I'll start frowning more often.*  
  
*********  
  
Taking a deep, ragged breath, Ranma grasped the   
ledge of the cliff with both hands for the 16th time that day.  
Pushing himself up, he pushed off, once again tumbling  
down the cliffs side.   
  
Crack " . . . Owie."  
  
*********  
  
"So you're saying that not only do we have to deal   
with the Negaverse and find Sailor Venus, but we also have   
ta deal with some chaos creator," Ranko summed up after   
everyone had regained their senses.   
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well that's putting it lightly," Makoto said annoyed   
by Setsuna's bluntness. She really didn't like it when Setsuna   
was blunt.   
  
"Are you saying I'm fat?!" Usagi shouted into Luna's   
face, holding her in the air by her sides.  
  
"Yes. You really shouldn't eat so much," Luna replied   
in that British nanny accent of hers.   
  
"What about Ranko! She eats more than I do! Do you   
think she's fat!?" Usagi asked glaring straight into Luna's   
eyes.   
  
"I don't know! She's never _sat_ on me before!"   
Luna replied glaring back just as much.  
  
"Fine, lets find out," Usagi said before turning to   
Ranko and shoving Luna into her face. "Here Ranko. Sit on   
Luna."  
  
"Don't you dare sit on me," Luna growled.  
  
"Oh no! Don't go including me in your argument!"   
Ranko shouted pushing Luna out of her face before cupping   
her breasts and adding, "Besides, I think these would add a   
lot a of weight you don't have."  
  
"Are you saying I have no breasts?!" Usagi shouted   
suddenly in Ranko's face.  
  
"No," Ranko replied causing Usagi to relax and back   
off. Of course, this is Ranko and she's so much like Ranma   
that, "I was just saying that you have small breasts and that   
mine are way bigger."  
  
*This is going to be a long meeting.* Setsuna thought   
as she watched Usagi try to strangle Ranko.  
  
*********  
  
"You know what? After a while this doesn't feel too   
bad. Pop . . . Itamu!"   
  
*********  
  
"Wait. It stopped," Setsuna said causing Ranko to   
stop the noogie she was giving Usagi and Makoto to stop   
glaring at Rei.  
  
"What stopped?" Makoto asked perplexed.  
  
"Did you forget already? The thing that's creating the   
chaos. Its stopped," Setsuna replied. Sometimes she   
wondered.  
  
"Hey! That's great!" Usagi responded from within   
Ranko's headlock.   
  
"That doesn't mean it's gone." *I closed my clinic for   
this?*  
  
*********  
  
Ranma had fallen. Of course, that's because he   
wanted to, but the way he landed . . . it just wasn't right. For   
the first time in the last 16 falls he hit a rock. A rather large   
one. He had landed on his back forcing his body to bend into   
an upside down V position. Head and feet touching the   
ground on both sides. All in all, it wasn't very comfortable.   
Especially when you get stuck like that for seven minutes.  
  
"My God this is painful. Good training, but painful,"   
Ranma groaned. "Question is . . . how am I going to get off?"  
  
And as by magic, or fate it started raining. Not drizzle   
or a light rain, but pouring, mass amounts in seconds,   
drenching Ranma and the rock completely.   
  
"Hahahaha! It figures . . . hahahaha . . . something   
like this . . . hahahaha . . . would happen!" Ranma laughed   
insanely, his face dripping water and his open mouth   
collecting it.   
  
And then he slipped off. Pop and his back   
straightened   
  
"Chikuso!"   
  
*********  
  
"I'm going to take this rain as a bad sign," Rei said as   
she listened to the rain pound against the roof.   
  
"Its started again." Three guesses who that was.   
  
The other Senshi's exchanged annoyed looks.  
  
*********  
  
"Somebody turn off the water! Cough I'm gonna   
drown! Gargle." Laying on your back with tons and tons of   
water pouring into your mouth is not a pleasant experience.   
"For the love of God! Someone Spit turn off the water!"   
  
And as if by God it stopped.  
  
"Spit . . . Kaiki kuso," Ranma muttered before   
breaking into a coughing fit. Using what little strength he had   
left, he rolled onto his stomach before puking the last of his   
resolve.  
  
*********  
  
"Hey, it stopped," Makoto pointed out the obvious.   
  
"Weird shit," Ranko said looking out one of the   
clinics' windows.   
  
Everyone looked at her curiously.  
  
"I've never heard you say that before," Makoto said   
looking at Ranko with an eyebrow raised.  
  
Ranko blinked. Why'd she say that? Where'd she hear   
that? Someone had said that to her earlier. But who? *Oh   
yeah! Ranma said that!* Subconsciously she started blushing.   
She'd had a very strange dream about him beating up Kuno   
and Akane. Quite easily too.   
  
"Look, not that this hasn't been fun, but I got chores   
and other stuff to do," Ranko said before dashing out of the   
room trying to hide her cherry red face.   
  
Usagi stood up to go too. "I'm heading over to the ice   
cream shop down the street. I'm starved ," she said as headed   
for the exit of the room.  
  
Luna sweat dropped. Had she forgotten their whole   
fat fight?  
  
"Hey wait up, I'll go with you," Makoto said standing   
up and following Usagi out of the room.   
  
Setsuna looked at Rei with her . . . well you know, her   
look.  
  
Rei shivered slightly before standing and sighing in   
defeat. "Fine! I'll go do a fire reading if it'll make you   
happy!" she cried exasperated before storming out of the   
room.  
  
Setsuna sighed before looking at Luna and asking,   
"Are you sure they're the ones?"  
  
Crash "Wah!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sorry!!"  
  
"MEATBALL HEAD!!!!!"  
  
"Yes, I'm sure," Luna answered tiredly before   
hopping off the table and leaving the room.  
  
"Sometimes I think spending time guarding the Time   
Gate is better than trying to talk to those girls," Setsuna said   
to herself before leaving the room to see what Usagi had   
broken.  
  
*********  
  
That night Ranma dreamt of his first real fight with   
Ryouga. It was going fine dream until Ryouga started melting   
into a giant pile of brownish goo and leapt onto him.   
  
Once again while Ranma slept, his muscles grew   
slightly bigger.  
  
*********  
  
Rei gazed at the fire passively. What she had seen   
didn't look good.   
  
*********  
  
Monday:  
  
Ranma awoke with a start. What the hell was he   
sleeping in? It sure as hell wasn't rain. To thick to be rain.   
Then he remembered the last thing he did the other day.   
  
"Oh nasty!" Ranma shouted springing backwards and   
away from his barf/pillow. *Well now I know what Ryouga   
melted into.* he thought wiping his puke off his face   
hurriedly. Then he realized something. "Wow! My back feels   
great! I coulda sworn my spine was broken," he said happily   
stretching his back. Then he stretched a little more. "Cool, I   
can bend back even further then I could in my old body!" he   
added as he bent really far backwards.   
  
Standing up straight again, Ranma took a look at his   
gi. It was completely ruined, tore in hundreds of places and   
still wet from the other night. The gi top was ripped badly,   
basically falling apart on his shoulders making it quite easy to   
see his chest. The pants were torn so that it looked like he   
was wearing shorts along with many little tears.   
  
He glanced at the forest then down at his clothes.   
"Hm . . . ?" He looked at the forest then at his clothes again.   
Then he smiled.  
  
*********  
  
"Where the hell is he?" Akane asked angrily, her face   
contorted in anger, the rest of the 'Red Hammers' backing   
her up.   
  
"I don't know. He just didn't show up. He probably   
stayed home today," Nabiki answered plainly from where she   
sat in the lunch room.   
  
"Then we'll just bring him here," Akane growled   
before turning to go.  
  
"Don't waste your time. He'll show up sooner or later.   
He's got his nerd reputation to keep up after all," Nabiki said   
looking over the list of people who had yet to be bullied that   
day.  
  
*When he shows up . . . he is dead!* Akane thought,   
virtually shaking rage.  
  
*********  
  
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!   
Ow! Ow! Ow! Crash Thump Ohhhh . . ."  
  
*********  
  
"Saembou!" Umetsu-sensei called.   
  
"Here!" came the response.  
  
"Saotome! . . . Saotome?" Umetsu-sensei glanced   
around the classroom until he came to Ranma's empty seat.   
"Where's Saotome?" he asked no one in particular.  
  
"Um . . . I don't think he's here today sensei," one of   
the students answered.   
  
"Oh . . . My . . . God! What do you mean Saotome   
isn't here!?" Umetsu-sensei asked frantically, a wild look on   
his face. He looked ready to burst.  
  
"Well . . . he's just not here," another student   
answered nervously.   
  
"Yeah! I think he cut!" one of the male students   
shouted.  
  
And then he did. "It's the end of the world!" Umetsu-  
sensei screamed clutching the sides of his head before   
running and jumping out the window.   
  
Running to the windows, every student watched as   
Umetsu-sensei straight for the school flagpole, grabbed onto   
it and climbed all the way to the top where he latched onto   
the top looking around like a wild animal. "It's the end of the   
world!" he shouted over and over, swinging back and forth   
and laughing insanely.  
  
*********   
  
*Ok, so maybe running through the forest naked   
wasn't such a good idea.*   
  
He now had a collection of cuts and scratches as well   
as a bloody lip and nose. He'd been running through the   
forest, naked of course, minding his own business when a   
large branch came out of no where. Smacking his face,   
clothes lining him in the process, Ranma landed hard on his   
back.   
  
So here he was, back at his campsite, cut, naked, dirty   
and tired. What do you think he did?   
  
"Cold! Cold! Cold! Cold! Cold! Cold!" Ranma cried   
out repeatedly as he swam around, still naked, in the ice cold   
pond.   
  
*********  
  
"I heard he snapped and was put in a mental   
institute," Makoto commented as she and her friends ate their   
lunches.   
  
"You think? I mean, he was acting weird at the mall   
on Saturday," Usagi added, taking a small break from her   
eating race with Ranko.  
  
"Wouldn't surprise me. After that joke he played on   
us. I hope he was put in a mental hospital." Gee, I wonder.   
  
Ranko continued to eat, not bothering to join in.  
  
"So what do you think happened to your boyfriend,   
Ranko?" Makoto teased, smiling slyly.   
  
"He is not my boyfriend and nothing happened to   
him," Ranko answered tiredly and plainly looking up from   
her meal. She really wasn't up for talking. She had stayed up   
past three in the morning finishing her chores only to wake   
up at six to practice her martial arts. Sometimes Ranko   
wished she had someone she could spar against. Sure there   
was Akane, but she didn't want to or was to lazy to wake up   
at six to practice. Also, Akane wasn't exactly very close skill   
wise compared to her. There was also Makoto, but she didn't   
exactly live nearby and wasn't willing to wake up at 5:30   
every morning.   
  
"Jeez, you don't have to be such a grouch," Usagi said   
as she eyed the rest of Rei's lunch.  
  
"What do you mean nothing happened to him?" Rei   
asked not noticing Usagi's hungry gaze.   
  
"He told me that he was going on a camping trip and   
wouldn't be back till Wednesday," Ranko answered flatly.  
  
"Ohhhh! A secret rendevous," Makoto said eyeing   
Ranko eagerly.   
  
Ranko blinked. Had they forgotten everything that   
had happened on Saturday?  
  
"You didn't seriously have a secret rendevous with   
Ranma, did you?" Rei asked incredulously though on the  
inside she was worried. What she had seen the other night  
had freaked her out and she had had a hard time sleeping  
fearing she might see what she saw in her dreams.   
  
"Befails! Give bus befails!" Usagi said causing   
Ranko, Makoto and Rei to look at her.  
  
Looking down in front of her, Rei asked slowly,   
"Meatball head?"   
  
"Bes?"   
  
"What are you eating?"  
  
Gulp "Heh! Nothing. See?" Usagi said opening her   
mouth wide.   
  
Rei lunged.  
  
*********  
  
"Wednesday, huh? Where'd you hear this?" Nabiki   
asked one of her many lackeys.  
  
"You're cousin Ranko, sempai," the lackey   
responded.   
  
"You heard this from Ranko?" Nabiki blinked   
curiously. Why would Ranko know something like this?  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Did you find out how Ranko learned this?" Nabiki   
asked rubbing her face.  
  
"Something about a secret rendevous, ma'am."  
  
"Ok, get that fucking moron Kuno in here," Nabiki   
ordered, arms crossed.  
  
"Yes, ma'am," the lackey said before scurrying away.  
  
*Secret rendevous? Ranma and Ranko? Something's   
not right.*  
  
*********  
  
Ranma was spinning around in circles, head looking   
over his shoulder. It wasn't training. He was just trying to see   
something.   
  
After swimming in the pond for an hour, he had ran   
through the forest naked again. Of course, after that he   
jumped into the pond, still naked, and swam around for   
another hour.  
  
On stepping out of the water, he'd turned his head to  
look back, and noticed something large and black resting on  
the small of his back.   
  
Sighing in defeat, Ranma walked over to his backpack   
and pulled out a new set of clothes, changed then glared   
meaningfully at a nearby tree. I think you know which one   
I'm talking about.   
  
*********  
  
"Hello Kuno," Nabiki said plainly as Kuno walked up   
to her.  
  
"What do you want with the great Tatewaki Kuno,   
vile bitch, Ten Do Nabiki?" Kuno asked glaring angrily.  
  
"I've got some information on Ranma. You want it?"   
Nabiki replied eyebrow raised.  
  
"Tell me," Kuno growled threateningly.   
  
Nabiki held out her hand, smirking cruelly. She loved   
this part.  
  
*********   
  
His fist were bloody and stung like hell, but he didn't   
care. That's what he wanted. Ranma was punching and   
punching and punching then he was giving it some good   
kicks as well. More and more of the trees bark was falling off   
with every punch and with every punch his fists got bloodier.   
  
Taking a step back and stopping his administrations,   
Ranma looked at his knuckles. They were soaked with blood   
and wherever there was no blood, you could see the ripped   
skin or a bruise. Curling his hands back into fists and wincing   
more in anticipation that pain, Ranma lashed out at the tree   
once more.   
  
*********  
  
"Mr. Umetsu! Don't worry! We will get you down!"   
one of the many firemen called using a loud speaker.   
  
"Heh! You don't get it do you? He didn't show up!   
_He_ didn't show up! Heh! We're doomed! Hahaha!   
Doomed I tell you!" Umetsu shouted crazily from his   
position on the flag pole.  
  
"I'm telling you there was no secret rendevous!"   
Ranko shouted exasperated as she and her friends walked   
away from Furinkan.  
  
"Wednesday. Wednesday. I'll kill him on   
Wednesday," Akane growled as she stalked off toward her   
house.   
  
"Wednesday the vile cur So Do Me will pay." If you   
don't know, I'm not telling you.  
  
"Please calm down Mr. Umetsu! You'll be just fine!"   
the fireman with the loud speaker called.  
  
"Hahahahahahah!"   
  
*********  
  
"Stupid . . . huff . . . tree . . . puff," Ranma breathed   
tiredly as he threw another punch at the blood stained tree.   
His hands were caked with blood, knuckles scraped and   
bruised very close to the bone, his nose and lip still bleeding   
slightly themselves.   
  
The tree had seen better days. Much better days. Most   
of its bark had been punched off leaving the tree bare. With   
every punch, more of his blood coaxed it leaving a very   
visible stain. If you looked closely, you could small indents   
behind blood where his fists had hit the most.   
  
Stepping back from the tree, Ranma stretched his   
fingers, cracking them in the process. Gritting his teeth, he   
slowly curled his fingers into fists again. Except this time he   
didn't lash out at the tree.   
  
Gathering as much confidence as he could, Ranma   
gritted his teeth even hard in appreciation of the challenge   
presented before him. After about four minutes of trying, he   
felt a warming sensation slowly cover his body causing him   
to grin cruelly. He stepped back five more time before getting   
into a ready stance, breathing deeply and calmly.   
  
Abruptly he broke into a run, stopped immediately   
right in front of the tree, jumped up, stuck out his right leg   
forcing as much ki as he could into it, and shouted, "Baisuu   
Supin Handou!" before his body blurred in a circular figure.   
Landing wobbly from the spinning kicks, Ranma fell   
backwards onto his back before looking up at his handy or   
should I say footy work. (Did I really just write that . . .)  
  
It looked like someone had put a chainsaw to it,   
cutting about 1/4 through. *Looks like I gotta new move.*   
Ranma thought before slumping to ground, asleep from   
exhaustion.  
  
*********  
  
"Does this do anything to the plans?"   
  
"That Saotome isn't here? Phef! That nerd means   
nothing. The thing he does best is get beat up."  
  
"Good."  
  
*********  
  
"Ah! Rei-chan, what can I do for you?" Setsuna asked   
pleasantly, smiling broadly.   
  
Rei hated it when Setsuna acted normal. It just wasn't   
her, but she had to do it for her customers. "Hello Dr. Meiou.   
May I speak with you in private, please?" Rei responded   
emphasizing the 'please' and smiling back just as much.   
  
"Of course! Could you wait just a moment Mr.   
Takou?" Setsuna asked an elderly man nicely.  
  
"Of course, of course. Anything for you Dr. Meiou,"   
Mr. Takou replied, his small, wrinkly face donning a smile.   
  
Rei rolled her eyes. If only he knew.  
  
Leaving the waiting room and entering Setsuna's   
office, Rei and Setsuna took seats opposite of each other.   
  
"What is it?" Setsuna asked, her facial expression   
calm as ice.  
  
"I did a fire reading last night like you wanted and   
saw some pretty weird things. I saw four people standing in a   
street, I couldn't see their faces though. One of them was a   
man with short blond hair, and another was a woman with   
wavy looking light green hair. The other two were younger   
looking, one with long blond hair and the other with short   
dark blackish, purplish hair and both were girls. That make   
any sense to you?" Rei explained seriously.   
  
"No. It doesn't," Setsuna lied then asked, "What else   
can you tell me?"  
  
"Well the man and the woman were standing together.   
The blonde was standing by herself, looking happy while the   
last girl was sitting on the ground curled in a ball crying," Rei   
said slowly so Setsuna would catch it all.   
  
Setsuna nodded and asked, "Was there anything   
else?"  
  
"Yeah. Another guy appeared walking the street. I   
couldn't see his face, but he had black hair and a pigtail, like   
Ranko's. This is where things got weird and started turning   
bad."  
  
"What happened?"   
  
"Everywhere he walked exploded. The buildings next   
to him crumbled and the land behind fell away into nothing.   
Then me and the others appeared in front of him, a really big   
mob of people with bats and other weapons next to us and   
you next to the man and woman," Rei said then took a deep   
breath and looked at Setsuna.   
  
"Go on."   
  
"Ok. The dark-haired girl stopped crying when she   
saw him, and the blonde became confused. She looked like  
she wasn't sure if she should run or stay. You, the man and  
the woman joined us, then Tuxedo Mask showed up and attack  
the pigtailed boy followed by everyone else except the girl  
who had been crying. She look more afraid than anything  
else. Then . . . " Rei stopped, suddenly staring off into space.  
  
Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "Rei?"   
  
"Huh!? Oh yeah. Sorry. Then . . . everything   
crumbled to dust except for the boy and the dark-haired girl,"   
Rei finished quietly. She could still remember the agonizing   
looks on her friends faces as they crumbled away into   
nothing. She could still remember the look on her face.   
"What do think that means?"   
  
"I'm not quite sure yet, but I think the pigtailed boy   
you saw might be the thing that's emitting chaos," Setsuna   
said standing up and heading toward the door. "Go home and   
try not to worry about it. Ok?"  
  
"Ok," Rei responded looking at Setsuna curiously   
before leaving the room.  
  
"I'll do all the worrying," Setsuna said before leaving   
the room and cheerfully calling, "Mr. Takou. I'll see you   
now!"  
  
*********  
  
That night Ranma dreamt of his fight with the Golden   
Pair and how he was thrown into the skating rink wall. About   
half way through the dream, Azusa and Mikado turned into   
trees and started trying to close line him before the ice melted   
and he ended up swimming in freezing cold water.   
  
While he slept, his muscle once again grew slightly   
bigger and his abs became a little more defined.   
  
*********  
  
Tuesday:  
  
Ranma scratched the back of his head with one arm   
while stretching the other and yawning at the same time.   
*Hm . . . my hair's getting longer. Hopefully I'll be able to   
get it into a pigtail soon.* Ranma thought tugging on the hair   
above his neck.   
  
His hands were still slightly bruised from the other day   
and were covered with dry blood. All the cuts and scrapes   
he'd received the on Monday were closed and healed. His   
nose had stopped bleeding as well as his lip, but he had a   
small bruise on his nose from where he'd branch hit the   
hardest.   
  
After washing the blood off his hands in the pond,   
Ranma walked back to his backpack and pullout the bag of coal   
he'd taken from Genma barbeque and poured the coal around   
the ground over a patch of dried leaves he'd placed earlier.   
Surrounding the coal with a bunch of rocks, Ranma then   
threw some rock onto the coal making a walkway across.   
Throwing a lot of brush and other plants onto the coal,   
Ranma walked over to his backpack and retrieved the box of   
matches he'd taken. Lighting the match, Ranma tossed it onto   
a group of dried leaves.  
  
After waiting ten minutes, Ranma took off his shoes   
and stepped onto the coal.  
  
*********  
  
"Mr. Umetsu! Please release the pole!" an obviously   
tired fireman called.  
  
"No! I'm not even supposed to be up here, but the   
Author needed me for a short transaction scene! Besides,   
why would I wanna get down. I think I can see my house   
from up here!" Umetsu cried.  
  
"Author? Transaction scene? Do any of you guys   
know what's he talking about?" the chief asked a few of his   
men.  
  
"I have no clue what the nut case is saying," answered   
one of his men, the rest nodding in agreement.  
  
*********  
  
After an hour of walking around on the coal then   
another hour of hand standing across it, Ranma had put out   
the coal with multiple trips to the pond. His face was slightly   
singed from when he had accidently tripped and fallen onto   
the coal. His butt was slightly burned also, but I think you can   
guess how that happened.   
  
Now he was sitting in front of a fire, cross legged,   
watching as the chestnuts slowly burned. Ranma felt like he   
was having a staring contest with the offending chestnuts,   
sitting quietly, watching and waiting.   
  
Suddenly he lashed out, grabbing all the chestnuts as   
fast as he could. Dropping the chestnuts, Ranma began   
waving his hands around while blowing on them at the same   
time. "Ite!" he cursed through gritted teeth.  
  
*********  
  
"You're shitting me, right?"   
  
"Nope. Supposedly she and Ranma had a secret   
rendevous sometime over the weekend," Nabiki replied.  
  
"You don't think she and him are . . . you know?"   
Akane asked suspiciously.  
  
"I haven't asked her about it yet, but trust me,  
I will."  
  
"She and Ranma better not! Ranko deserves _way_   
better than Ranma!" Akane growled.   
  
"And what if they are?" Nabiki asked plainly.  
  
"Then I'll just show Ranko what Ranma's bad points   
are," Akane replied cracking her knuckles.   
  
*********  
  
Eleven hours later he had it down, grabbing the   
chestnuts with practiced ease. His hands felt like shit, but that   
would make the next training he had planned even better.   
After soaking his sore hands in the pond till they'd numbed,   
Ranma walked back and faced the tree he'd been beating.   
Grinning like a feline, though he'd never admit it, Ranma   
charged the tree, jumped up, placed both his feet on it's   
trunk, and back flipped off it, this time landing on his feet.   
  
Ranma breathed deeply, smiling while he did so and   
stretching his arms above his head. God it felt good to be   
strong. Flipping backwards three times away from the tree,   
still smiling, then turned to face the blood stained tree once   
more.   
  
Grinding his feet into the ground to steady himself,   
Ranma immediately found himself drawing up his   
confidence. His fists clenched and teeth gritted, Ranma   
wasn't too surprised when he felt a warmness spread over his   
body so quickly. It still wasn't as large as the one he used to   
have, but it was bigger than before.   
  
Cupping his hands at his side, Ranma began forcing   
as much ki as he could into them. A minute later a ball, about   
the size of a softball, of blue ki appeared in his hands. Pulling   
his hands more behind himself, Ranma suddenly grabbed   
onto another emotion. Sweating like crazy, he watched   
as the ball of ki grew twice it's size before shouting, "Mouko   
Takabisha!" and launching the blue and gold ball of ki at the   
tree, and throwing him off his feet.   
  
*********  
  
Setsuna's eyes snapped open. "What the hell was   
that?" she said aloud.  
  
"What did you say, Dr. Meiou?" her patient asked.  
  
"Huh? Oh, nothing," Setsuna said before going back   
to work as quickly as possible. She had to find out if   
whatever she felt did to the time stream.   
  
*********  
  
The tree exploded. The part where Ranma had been   
punching shattered, sending wood chips flying everywhere.   
The force of the blast knocked him off his feet and onto his   
still slightly sore butt. Covering his face from the falling   
wood with his hand, Ranma looked at his work.   
  
There was a gaping hole where the ball had hit, smoke   
drifting from it's edges. The hole went all the way through   
the tree, and the tree behind it was lightly charred. "All the   
way through and hit the one behind," Ranma said, then   
added, "Never using that emotion again. Too dangerous."   
Then he was unconscious.  
  
********   
  
The time stream was a mess. She couldn't get a clear   
picture of the future and that upset her. Every second the   
picture changed because every second the chaos around the   
mystery pigtailed boy grew. Setsuna wouldn't be able to get a   
clear picture until the chaos stopped growing, but she had no   
clue when that would happen. Her future self hadn't shown   
up since the person emitting chaos arrived either. And that  
upset her even more.  
  
*********  
  
Wednesday:  
  
Putting on his Mao Zedong clothes, the green Chinese   
military clothes, Ranma packed his backpack up and stood up   
slowly from his kneeling position. He turned his head calmly,   
looking up at the sky and studying it peacefully before   
quickly setting off for Nerima. Furinkan High to be precise.   
  
*********   
  
"Wow! I wonder what going on," Usagi said as she,   
Ranko, Makoto and Rei entered through the gates of Furikan.   
  
"Well, there's Ranko's fan club, but there's Akane's   
gang too. You think they're gonna fight?" Makoto asked as   
she looked at the two gangs. It was well known that whenever   
the two gangs were close, some kind of brawl was bound to   
happen.   
  
"Probably," Rei answered in a tired voice, then added,   
"Don't know why all these people are out here though." The   
gangs fought with each other almost everyday and most   
students just ignored them, but today it looked like the whole   
school was out and waiting.   
  
"Hey, what going on?" Ranko asked a nearby girl.  
  
"Didn't you hear? Ranma's supposedly coming back   
today and everyone wants to see what's going to happen," the   
girl answered.  
  
"How'd they find out about Ranma coming back   
today?" Ranko asked no one in particular.   
  
The others answered for her. "Nabiki." And so, like   
ever other student, they stopped and waited.   
  
After waiting about five or six minutes, someone   
dressed in green walked through Furinkan Highs gates   
whistling.  
  
*********   
  
Ranma casually strolled through the gates of Furinkan   
High, hands in his pockets, whistling an amabile tune.   
Glancing around he blinked in surprise. It looked like the   
whole school was there, staring at him. Shrugging his   
shoulders, Ranma dropped his backpack on the ground and   
took off his cap before continuing on.   
  
Walking to the middle of the court yard, he stopped   
anxiously.   
  
"What's everyone standin' around for?" he asked   
aloud looking around the crowd.   
  
"So the cur So Do Me does showo his horrididid . . .   
face!" Kuno stated drawing his bokken.  
  
"Saotome!" Ranma grumbled.   
  
"I hope you enjoyed those days off, Saotome,   
because the days to come are gonna be much worse," Akane   
growled, popping her knuckles.  
  
"Actually I didn't. I was in a lot of pain for most of   
the trip," Ranma replied smiling happily.   
  
"Well it doesn't matter! You're a dead man,   
Saotome!" Akane shouted angrily before she and everyone   
else in her gang got into fierce, yet sloppy fighting stances.   
  
"So you wanna fight me, huh?" Ranma said smiling   
before stretching his arms behind him and letting his coat   
slide off revealing the black sleeveless shirt underneath   
which showed of his much more muscular arms and chest.  
  
The crowed gasped and stared in shock. *What the   
hell!?* were most of the thought while others were thinking,   
*Wow! He's a hunk!*  
  
Dropping into a low combat stance, Ranma slipped   
his foot underneath his fallen coat before smiling arrogantly   
and asking, "So? Who gets to go first?"   
  
Someone charged.  
  
Next Time: The New Ranma  
The long await Akane and Kuno get their asses kicked fight   
and more ridicule. Not to mention the trouble he ends up with   
afterward.  
  
Authors Note: BWHAHAHAHAAHAHAH! I finished! I   
thought this was going to be a short chapter for christ sake.   
It's now 32 pages, the same as chapter 1. This one might not   
be as good as Chapter 1 but I wrote all Sunday and most of   
Monday just to finish this damn chapter. I'd like to thank all   
the people who wrote me encouraging me to keep it up.   
Thanks! ^_^ I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you have any   
questions or comments email me at Hawk49er@attbi.com   
and I will get back to you as soon as I can. You can find this   
story at Tannim's http://tannim.anifics.com/index.html  
Japanese words:   
Itamu = Ouch  
Chikuso = A stronger form of shit.  
Baisuu Supin Handou = Multiple Spin Kick  
  
http://www.geocities.com/furikuri83/index.html 


	4. Chapter 3

  
Disclaimer: The characters of Ranma ½ belong to Rumiko  
Takakashi. The characters of Sailor Moon belong to Naoko  
Takeuchi. If they belonged to me, I wouldn't be writing this  
I'd be swimming in my pool of cash. I wouldn't bother suing me  
either. I got nothing you want. 

MeSsEd Up! Or Mechakucha!  
A Ranma ½ / Sailor Moon Crossover!  
By Hawk  
C&C welcome, as well as flames at  
(Revised Version 2.0)

Note: I'm hoping I can really mess this story up. Not in a bad  
way mind you, but in a way that makes it way different from  
the original. . You'll understand what I'm talking about  
when you read it. This takes place after Ranma's battle with  
Saffron. There is some swearing in it, not a lot and it's  
somewhat limish. Hope you enjoy!

P.S. note: Read the fight scenes slowly. I tend to read things  
fast which makes reading fight scenes hard to understand.  
Just a thought of advice.

P.P.S. I've combined Chapters 3a and 3b. So it's LONG!

* * *

**  
Chapter 3 - The New Ranma and an Interesting Idea**

Ranko watched in fascination as Ranma casually  
walked up the two gangs. She didn't know what to think.  
Ranma, the school nerd, appeared completely different,  
looking much better than he did before.

He was wearing different and better looking clothes  
which she'd never seen him wear before, his hair wasn't  
gelled down, but instead mushed and a little messy looking.  
His grey-blue eyes seemed to twinkle with amusement which  
was quite clearly shown by the smile plastered on his face.  
There was also the way he carried himself, completely  
graceful with every step, but looked like he was doing it more  
subconsciously than trying to walk that way. Damn! He's  
walking as gracefully as I do! Ranko thought a bit jealous at  
how easy he made it look.

"So what's everyone standin' around for?" Ranma  
asked scanning the crowd.

"So the cur So Do Me does show his horrididid . . .  
face!" Kuno said as he drew his bokken.

Ranko smacked her forehead. Horrid, you idiot.

"Saotome!"

"I hope you enjoyed those days off Saotome,  
because the days to come are gonna be much worse," Akane  
said cracking her knuckles.

Glancing at Ranma, Ranko eyes grew to the size of  
dinner saucers. He was standing there, hands in his pockets,  
smiling as if nothing was wrong. Did he not realize he was  
about to get the shit kicked out of him? Hard!

"Actually I didn't. I was in a lot of pain for most of  
the trip," Ranma replied smiling brightly, bouncing on the  
balls of his feet.

Maybe he did go insane. Ranko thought worriedly  
as she noticed Akane and Kuno getting angrier.

"Well it doesn't matter! You're a dead man,  
Saotome!" Akane shouted before she dropped into a low  
combat stance. Ranko watch as everyone else in her gang got  
into their own fighting styles. Some crouching low, and some  
standing tall. Then there was the fat one, which Ranko  
considered was using the wide stance.

Ranko turned her attention to Ranma and was  
surprised again when he asked, "So you wanna fight me,  
huh?" Then she was surprised again. She looked on in  
wonder as Ranma stretched his arms behind him and  
allowed his coat to slide off gracefully, landing beside his  
right foot.

She and everyone gasped in surprise. It was just a day  
full of them. One could see the difference immediately.  
Ranma's arms were larger, more muscular, while the black  
sleeveless undershirt he wore stuck to his broader chest like a  
second skin. The way his bangs puffed over his face, clashing  
with his grey-blue eyes made his cute face look even better.  
And the way he stood, so confident and powerful. He was the  
perfect definition of the work "hunk"! Of course, that was  
every other girls' opinion of him at that time. Then he  
dropped into a low combat stance and in Ranko's eyes, he  
became even better looking.

"So? Who gets to go first?" Ranma's voice broke her  
subconscious line of thinking causing her to blink then take  
in Ranma's stance. It was really familiar looking, almost the  
same kind she would use in a situation like that.

Someone charged. It was one of Kuno's 'Virtuous  
Kendo Men' and he ran straight at Ranma, holding his  
bokken back as if to stab.

Ranko saw Ranma's foot shift under his coat and  
before she knew it, she was yelling, "Watch out!" Everyone,  
of course, thought she was yelling at Ranma, but she was in  
fact yelling to the attacking Kendoist.

Ranma moved.

* * *

Ranma smiled even wider as he saw the Kendoist  
charge. Shifting his right foot a bit, he lashed out with his  
right leg, sending his coat into the Kendoists face. Side  
stepping three times, Ranma kicked his would be attacker  
hard in the chest, sending him flying back five feet and to the  
ground. 

Curling up into a ball, the member of Kuno's gang  
began crying and gasping uncontrollably.

The crowds' mouths opened even further. How the  
hell did he do that? How the hell was he keeping his leg up in  
the air like that? What the hell was going on!

"What sorcery is this?" Kuno shouted angrily  
pointing his bokken at his fallen member. (Authors Note: I know what you're thinking Kwok)

Ranma, leg still in the air, explained cooly, "I kicked  
him in the center of his chest causing all of his ribs to vibrate  
rapidly. Right now I'd say he feels as if his chest's on fire and  
he can't breathe. Though he can." Slowly, almost as if in slow motion,  
he brought down his leg down. If one looked close enough, they  
might have notice the small tinge of pity flickering in his eyes.

"That tears it, Saotome! You may be stronger, but that  
doesn't mean you have any skill!" Akane shouted before  
charging Ranma, right fist drawn back. Once she was close  
enough, Akane swung her fist at Ranma's head expecting it  
to connect.

Ranma's hand blurred, catching Akane right with his  
left. He smiled rather cruelly when he saw Akane's eyes  
widen, nearly bursting into laughter. His right hand blurred  
catching her left before it could connect with his head. This  
time he did laugh, he laughed right in her face at her shocked  
and somewhat fearful look.

Ranma narrowed his eyes. He "remembered" the  
Akane he... cared about on some level even if she was a violent  
flat-chested uncute tomboy. He also "remembered" this Akane  
somehow. She had gone beyond violence to be his tormentor  
for many years. And it was this Akane he needed to stop.  
Being gentle with a bully never worked out so he was going  
to do something Akane had suggested earlier. He was gonna  
just plain kick her ass.

Looking at Akane's face, Ranma shouted out loud,  
"Usually I don't hit women cause I think it's just wrong!"  
then he whispered quite wickedly, "But for you, I think I  
can make an exception."

Slowly he closed his fists around hers, listening to  
them pop from the pressure. "You're way off balance,"  
Ranma whispered before tugging her body to his right side  
and kneeing her in the gut. Removing his knee from her  
stomach, he raised his arms above his head and brought both  
of his elbows down onto her shoulders, knocking her to the  
ground.

Ranma hopped away from the downed girl and started  
laughing happily then dropped into a different stance. Most of  
the crowd started cheering and clapping. All the 'Virtuous  
Kendo Men' except Kuno began clapping as well. Those in  
the 'Red Hammers' gaped in surprise and shock at the sight  
of their fallen leader.

"Ho! Ho! Ho! The vile bitch Ten Do Akane receives  
what she righteously deserves. To be beaten by the hands of  
the path-pathetic So Do Me Ranma," Kuno gloated at  
Akane's downed figure.

"Saotome!"

Rising to her knees, gasping for air and clutching her  
stomach, Akane gave Kuno a withering glare. "I don't see  
you doing anything, asshole!"

"The dog So Do Me would be no match for me in  
com . . . in a fight," Kuno answered sharply, glaring in  
Ranma's direction.

"I hear a lot of ramble Kuno, but I don't see a lot of  
action! For all I know, you could suck worse than Akane!"  
Ranma shot back, eagerly to give Kuno a butt kicking.

"Fiend! You dare speak such words of my super .  
. . ior . . .ity! Die!" Kuno shouted before charging, bokken  
raised above his head.

Smirking arrogantly, Ranma sidestepped Kuno's  
attack, ducked under another then right hooked him in the gut  
sending him sprawling back and gasping for air. Running up  
to the kneeling fighter, he slammed his knee into Kuno face,  
sending the Kendoist onto his back, grasping his nose.

'Ohhhhs' and winces passed through the crowd as, for  
the first time ever, they felt sympathetic for Kuno. That had  
to hurt! Others continued to stare, mouth and eyes wide in  
shock while some whispered amongst themselves. Both the  
'Red Hammers' and 'Virtuous Kendo Men' gave Ranma  
looks promising death.

"You guys gonna attack or what?" Ranma asked,  
amusement shown in his voice and smile. "Oh wait! Now I  
understand! You guys are the background players. You just  
sit around while Kuno and Akane do everything else, right?"  
he added pointing a finger back and forth between both  
groups.

"What are we waiting for?" one of the Kendoists  
shouted catching everyone's attention, then added, "We can  
take him! There are way more of us than him!"

"Famous last words," Ranma muttered, an amused  
grin riding his face.

The gangs charged, surrounding him in the process.

Ranma ducked under a bokken then dodged a kick to  
stomach. After weaving around multiple bokken swings and  
punches, he rapidly punched everyone around him in the face  
numerous times sending them reeling back, grasping faces.  
Ducking under a bokken from behind, he kicked out at the  
attacker, catching him in the stomach. Jumping up, he  
scissor kicked a girl in the face, knocking her down then  
landed softly.

He hopped over a sweep, but was hit in the side  
with a bokken, knocking him off balance. He landed in a  
roll and immediately dodged another bokken aimed for his  
head. A fast hit his chest, forcing him to stumble back a  
couple steps. He jumped up again, kicking an incoming  
bokken down into the ground with his right foot, and then  
kicking its user in the face with his left.

He felt to hands push him from behind, causing him  
to lurch forward, where he was promptly kicked in the face.  
With the momentum of the kick helping, he bent over  
backwards, bending below a swinging bokken. He stood back  
up and threw his left arm behind him, knocking away an  
incoming kick as his right fended off a girls punches.

Ranma crouched under a punch, side stepped a  
bokken and a kick then jumped up and shouted, "Baisuu  
Supin Handou!" Everyone around him was hit in the face  
with a non ki filled foot smacking them down and into  
unconsciousness.

Standing from his crouching position. Ranma looked  
around the school yard and asked incredulously, "Is that the  
best you got?"

The crowd watched in awed silence.

Jumping to the left, virtually gliding over the grass, he  
then he launched himself into a flying kick, with his right  
foot just brushing the side of a Kendoists face. He followed  
up with his left foot from behind in a roundhouse, slamming  
the ball of his foot into the boy's side. Then, spinning like a  
top, he delivered backhand after backhand to his face, each  
strike making the boy shake and sway, and culminated with a  
punch from his right fist sending the boy flying some 10  
meters away.

He sidestepped a downward slash, and back flipped  
away, only to be kicked in the side when he landed. He  
stumbled to his right, lashing out with his left arm, but  
missing his attacker. A foot connected with his chest,  
sending him sprawling onto his back.

He hopped to his feet, neatly avoiding a bokken as  
it stabbed into the ground where his head had just been.  
Sweeping his right leg behind him, Ranma broke the bokken  
in half and tripped the boy who'd been using it.

A sidekick later and another Kendoist went to join the  
first. He leapt high into the air and landed a kick on another  
boys face, then using him as a springboard, he bounced off  
and kneed a girl in the head. If you had blinked you would  
have missed most of it.

Leaping up, Ranma back flipped onto a Kendoists  
back and back flipped again sending the boy face first into  
the ground. Landing softly, with barely a sound, Ranma  
swept an attackers legs out from under her before rolling to  
the side. Stopping in a crouch, Ranma did the splits and  
punched a Kendoist sending him to his knees, grasping  
desperately at his groin. Rolling backwards, Ranma slowly  
stood back up to his full height, arms relaxed by his sides.

3/4s of the crowd fainted.

Standing up, Ranma proceeded to stretch his body as  
if he'd just woken from a night of sleep, though his sides hurt  
from the abuse they'd just taken. Turning around, he faced  
his next opponent, a girl with nunchaku. He gestured to her  
with his hand. "Nunchaku. Lets see what ya got."

The girl went into action, swinging her nunchaku's  
over her shoulders, behind her waist, around her head with  
great speed. After an impressive three minute display of skill,  
the girl stopped with each nunchaku handle placed under her  
armpit. She leveled her gaze at Ranma, smirking cruelly.

"You beat the crap outta yourself didn't you?" Ranma  
asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

The girl nodded in response, her eyes rolled upwards  
into her head before falling over, bruises and lumps forming  
on her head, face and neck.

Ranma dropped to one knee. He punched with his  
right arm across his body, to his left side, hitting a girl in the  
gut. At the same time, he crossed his left arm over his right  
shoulder, grabbing an incoming punch. Pulling the fighter to  
him with his left hand, Ranma brought back his right arm,  
elbowing the girl on his right side in the gut as well. Lashing  
out his right leg, he spun around in a 360o on his left knee,  
tripping both girls.

"Gee, so far your gangs are giving me a better  
workout than you are," Ranma taunted the gang leaders.

Sidestepping a charging punch from Akane, he  
brought his elbow down onto the spine of her back. "That's  
for nearly drowning me the first day."

Crouching under a bokken swing, he casually  
elbowed Kuno in the kidney. "That's for smacking me in the  
ass with your bokken." Jumping up, he turned 180o in the air  
and kicked Kuno in the forehead before landing lightly.

The remaining 1/4 of the crowd fell to the ground,  
still staring in shock as the incredibly events played out  
before them. Oh yeah, all the remaining conscious girls were  
drooling too. Well, except for Ranko. She was watching  
Ranma more with interest than desire. Ok, there was some  
desire in her eyes too.

Abruptly, Ranma's arm shot up by his head, hand  
curled into a fist, punching a member of Akane's gang in the  
face. He hadn't even blinked or made any other kind of  
motion signaling that he knew the member was there in the  
first place. Kicking straight out behind him, Ranma caved in  
the gang members gut with his foot.

He bent forward, foot still out stretched behind him,  
avoiding Akane's round house kick then flipped backwards  
catching her in the chin with both feet. Landing, he  
immediately flipped sideways, twisted in mid air and then  
landed with shins on Kuno's shoulders. Not giving Kuno  
time to react, Ranma began punching the top his head at an  
amazing speed.

The crowd winced.

Raising his hands above his head, Kuno was about to  
swat at Ranma when the extra weight on his shoulders  
vanished. Then he was hit in the gut. Really hard. Looking  
down he saw Ranma crouching in front of him, fist extend  
before falling to his knee, clutching his stomach and gasping  
for air.

The crowds mouths opened even further.

"That was for all the times you accused me of flirting  
with Ranko and all the times you beat me up to "prove"  
yourself to her," Ranma said glaring at the downed Kendoist,  
arms crossed across his chest.

Spinning around, Ranma caught Akane's incoming  
wrist, and twisted it watching as her facial expression went  
from shock to absolute pain. He had twisted her arm a lot  
farther than it was meant to. "This is for locking me in my  
locker," Ranma growled before his fist connected with her  
jaw. Releasing her wrist, he watched as she flew back and  
landed unceremoniously on the ground.

Half of the remaining 1/4 crowd began convulsing on  
the ground as if having a seizure.

Ranma took deep, drawn out breaths as he looked at  
Akane's fallen form. He'd hit her. He'd actually done it. The  
one thing he never thought he'd do, he'd done. I hit her. I  
never in my life thought I'd actually hit her. Then he  
remembered all the things he'd done to him and shrugged his  
shoulders. Oh well! back

"Die, demon!" Kuno shouted charging Ranma from  
behind.

Crouching down under Kuno's decapitating attack,  
Ranma slid backwards into Kuno legs flipping him over his  
back. Walking up to the dazed Kendoist, he grabbed him by  
the scruff of his garb, lifted him slightly off the ground before  
bring his right fist back. "This is for making me your damn  
practice dummy!" he shouted then slammed his fist into  
Kuno face as hard as he could. Lowering Kuno's form  
slightly, he abruptly brought it back up, smacking Kuno's  
face with his forehead.

The remaining crowd winced again.

Lifting the Kendoist back up to his feet and holding  
his shirt so he wouldn't fall over, Ranma growled, "And this .  
. . is for shoving a bokken up my ass." Forcing a little ki into  
his foot, he let go of Kuno's shirt, jumped up and shouted  
once again, "Baisuu Supin Handou!" His foot connected with  
Kuno's nose three times before Kuno actually flew back from  
the first blow. Basically, in under one second, Ranma hit  
Kuno in the nose with a ki kick three times. Pretty fast, ne?

The crowd bit their tongues, shuddering at the sight of  
Kuno bruised and bloody face. Most of the crowd was sure  
that his nose wasn't bent the way it was at the beginning of  
the fight.

Landing lightly on one leg, Ranma spun around and  
began walking to Akane. Kneeling down next to her, he  
grabbed her hair with both his hands, as if gripping a baseball  
bat, he whispered, "This . . . is for making me eat mud," then  
proceeded to rip the hair in half which was soon followed by  
a blood curdling scream.

Akane had awoken.

* * *

Ranko, Rei and Makoto watched in silenced awe as  
Ranma continued to kick the crap out of Akane and Kuno.  
Usagi couldn't handle the fact that Ranma had preformed the  
splits and joined most of the crowd in la la land. 

They watched as Ranma blurred then disappeared off  
Kuno's shoulders then reappeared in front of him, fist extend.  
It was as if he'd blinked out and in of existence. Even Ranko  
had problems seeing him move, though she'd never admit it.

How is he doing this! There's no way he could  
become such a good fighter in such a short time! He was still  
a puny dweeb on Saturday! He must have made a deal with  
the Dark Kingdom!

"That was for all the times you accused me of flirting  
with Ranko and all the times you beat me up to "prove"  
yourself to her," Ranma said after stepping away from the  
downed Kuno.

In what seemed like only a matter of seconds, Ranma  
spun around, caught Akane's wrist, twisted it, growled, "This  
is for locking me in my locker," then socked her like there  
was no tomorrow. She must've flown back four feet before  
landing in a crumpled heap.

Wow! He looks just like my old sempai! Er . . .  
except I don't think my old sempai ever did that. Argh!  
Dammit! It'd be so much easier if I could remember his  
name! With that thought Makoto fell to the ground, curled  
up into a ball and started laughing maniacally.

Ranko and Rei glanced at Makoto and sweat dropped  
nervously.

"What do ya think is wrong with Makoto?" Ranko  
asked worriedly.

Rei glanced at Makoto closely. "By the way her eye's  
twitching, I'd say it has something to do with her old  
sempai," she responded with a casual shrug.

"What do you think, Ami?" Ranko asked the blue hair  
girl to her right.

"Hm. . .? I'm sorry. I was looking through my history  
notes. What did you say?"

Ranko and Rei sweat dropped before face-faulting  
sideways.

"Um . . . never mind," Ranko mumbled eyeing Ami  
oddly for a minute before turning back to the fight.

"Ok," Aim responded before returning her gaze to her  
notes completely ignoring her surroundings.

Rei continued to sweat drop as she glanced back and  
forth in-between Ami, the fight, and Makoto. Are Ranko  
and I the only normal Senshi? She thought then looked at  
Ranko. Am I the only normal Senshi?

That style? It's really close to the kind I use, but a  
little less defined (Note: What Ranko means is that, Ranma's  
using a little bit of the Anything Goes style and a lot of just  
plain street fighting). Where'd he learn it though, and how'd  
he get so strong and fast so . . . fast! And his muscles, she  
sighed wistfully, so much larger, but not too large! They  
look so comfortable. I wish he'd- her line of thought was cut  
off by Ranma's voiced.

"Baisuu Supin Handou!" Ranma shouted immediately  
before his body blurred into the form of what looked like a  
miniature tornado. Ranko watched in amazement as Kuno  
flew back, face covered by red.

Wow! Where'd he learn that! I wonder if I can  
learn it. Ranko thought excitedly. She'd hardly ever saw  
any new techniques when she moved to Nerima. Her uncle  
Soun didn't know any new techniques so she didn't get  
anything out of him and she really wanted to learn some new  
techniques. Then she remembered who preformed the move  
and started blushing. To learn the technique, she'd have to  
ask Ranma to teach her it. That would mean they'd have to be  
together and probably alone. There was no telling what could  
happen! Argh! I don't like him! I don't like him! I don't like  
him! I don't li-

>Rip

The sound caught nearly everyone's attention. And if  
that didn't, then the terrible scream that followed did.

Ranko watched as Akane sat up immediately, feeling  
her hair frantically. Standing up, Akane turned to Ranma,  
who was still clutching the large chunk of black/bluish hair in  
his fist. Her body lit up with a dark red aura as if she'd been  
sprayed by a group of flamethrowers. Growling fiercely,  
Akane screamed in rage before charging.

He ripped her hair! I didn't think that was possible!  
That hair was Akane's most prized possession!  
Subconsciously she grabbed her pigtail, holding onto it  
possessively.

Rei and Makoto, who'd recovered from her fit, looked  
at each other before pulling their hair over their shoulders and  
hugging it tightly to themselves.

The sound of Akane's face >Crunch hitting a nearby  
tree snapped them back into their senses.

Shaking her head, Ranko glanced at Akane before  
coming to a decision.

* * *

Damn, that's a big aura! Ranma thought as Akane's  
aura sprang into life, but instead said way to calmly for  
Akane's tastes, "What? Don't look at me like that. I just  
thought you'd look better with short hair, that's all." 

The second Akane broke her stance and charged,  
Ranma cocked his arm back and threw her hair into her face.  
Dodging three wild punches from the overly angered and  
temporarily blind martial artist (cough bitch cough), he  
grabbed her next punch and forcing his heels into the ground  
swung Akane around by her arm.

"This is for forcing me into the girls locker room in  
my boxers!" Ranma shouted by letting go of her arm, sending  
her flying, face first, into a nearby tree.

Sliding down the tree slowly, Akane's knees hit the

ground then her head as she fell over sideways out cold.

The crowd stood there like a bunch of idiots. Of  
course, they would have been clapping and cheering due to  
the fact that Akane and Kuno had gotten their asses kicked,  
but they were to busy standing around like idiots too do that.  
Clapping the dirt off his hands, Ranma was about to  
start the final part in his revenge when someone tapped him  
on the shoulder. Turning around, he received a hard >Pop  
punch to the face. It wasn't from Kuno because it was a fist,  
and not from Akane, but it was defiantly stronger than most  
punches. They were also pretty good, having managed to  
sneak up on him.

Grasping his nose, Ranma glared at the person who  
punched him before blinking in confusion. "What didja do  
that for?" he shouted.

"Come on! Show me what you got!" Ranko shouted,  
having back away a few feet and standing in a loose combat  
stance.

"I can't fight you!" Ranma responded, still peeved at  
being hit in the nose.

"Why not?" Ranko asked dropping her stance.

"Because you're a girl!"

The crowd face faulted.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Ranko  
shouted incredulously.

"I don't hit girls," Ranma answered flatly.

The crowd face faulted again.

"What about what you did to Akane and her gang?"

"I was making an exception."

"Fine!" Ranko yelled before running straight at  
Ranma.

Preparing to dodge the incoming attack, Ranma forgot  
that his female form was much faster and much more skilled  
than any other girl. He fell to his knees when the blow hit.  
"That . . . was . . . low," he squeaked out, his voice a few  
octanes higher. He'd been expecting a higher attack. One  
more towards his other head.

"Now that you're one step closer to being a woman,  
will you fight me?" Ranko asked pleasantly after removing  
her foot from his crotch.

"ONNA?" Ranma yelled looking at Ranko in shock.  
"Who are you calling a woman!" Ranma lunged at Ranko.  
And then he fell to his knees, bug eyed, grasping at his groin.  
"Ite! I must have dislocated my pelvis!"

Ranko was immediately by his side, kneeling next to  
him. "Are you all right?" she asked, concerned for his well  
being. She didn't think she kicked him that hard. Just hard  
enough so it would hurt not so something would break.  
Besides, if he'd broken his pelvis, how would that affect his  
performance in- Argh! I don't like him! I don't I don't I  
don't!

"Yeah, I'm all right, though I never knew I was so  
gullible," Ranma said before sweeping Ranko's legs out from  
under her.

Lets take a moment to look at Ranma's line of  
thinking shall we? First - Ranma was called a woman,  
making him not all that happy. Second - He was called a  
woman by his cursed form which Third - he considered to be  
a female copy of himself at that time. Not to mention Fourth  
- Ranma's always hated his female form and beating the snot  
out of it would probably make him feel really good.

"Huh?" was all Ranko managed before she fell on top  
of Ranma, knocking them both to the ground.

* * *

Nabiki watched from a window on the second story in  
morbid fascination as Ranma dodged her sisters and Kuno's  
attack like they were nothing. How could he be doing this?  
How'd he get so fast? Where'd he learn how to fight? To  
many questions and not many possible answers! How,  
dammit! How the he- 

Ranko.

Of course! If they were screwing each other, than  
Ranko would definitely take the time to get Ranma into  
shape. It made perfect sense. The secret rendevous on  
Saturday was probably to teach Ranma the basics in fighting.  
That little camping trip must have been to get him into shape,  
also probably Ranko's idea too.

How could she betray her family like that! How  
good a fuck was Ranma anyway? Nabiki's eyes narrowed. He  
must have been pretty damn good to turn Ranko against her  
own family. He better have been good.

Turning her attention back to the so called fight, it  
was more like a round of beatings, Nabiki shook her head in  
disgust. Her sister and Kuno had lost. They'd lost to the  
school nerd! What could be worse! I suppose losing to  
Umino would actually.

Nabiki winced as Akane face collided with a tree.  
That had to hurt! Well, that was it. Both gangs were down.  
What else could be done to make this day any more perfect?  
Maybe Ranko will declare her undying love for Ranma.  
Nabiki thought numbly.

>Pop

Or maybe not. Nabiki thought amused as she  
watched Ranma clutch his nose. Maybe she was wrong about  
Ranko. Maybe nothing happened between the two. Maybe  
she'd misunderstood Ranko's blushing denial. Maybe all  
these maybe's were giving here a headache.

Then she watched the fight. And her opinion changed  
once again Why didn't they just fuck in front of the whole  
school for Christ sake! She was gonna have a long talk with  
that girl when they got home.

* * *

Tumbling over, Ranko fell on top of Ranma,  
knocking the breath out of both of them and causing her chest  
to press against his. While catching his breath, Ranma  
became acutely aware of Ranko's breasts as they rubbed  
against his chest with every deep breath she took. After  
catching his breath, Ranma's breath caught in his throat. 

Ranko's face was somewhat red from the fall, lips  
slightly pursed, eyes closed as she lay on top of him. her face  
was just inches away from his own, her breathe caressing his  
nose every other second. He had to dig his fingers into the  
ground so he wouldn't reach up and touch it.

Then her eyes opened, gazing right back into his. He  
suddenly found out that he'd forgotten how to breath. Her  
eyes were a beautiful color of pure blue. He felt as if he could  
swim within them and desperately wanted to, but restrained  
himself by clutching the ground even tighter.

Ranko opened her eyes to what many would consider  
a beautiful sight. Deep blue/grey eyes gazing right back at  
her. She watched as Ranma eyes began drifting downward till  
they stopped upon her neck. She could feel herself getting  
hotter from the position she was in, their bodies pressed  
together as they were, and started getting even hotter when  
she realized where Ranma's gaze had moved too.

Ranma's gaze began to wander from her flawless face  
to her perfectly smooth, perfectly tanned neck. His gaze  
traveled lower and he gulp to himself as he was given a  
frontal look into Ranko's cleavage. Without realizing it he  
took a long drawn out sniff of her, and with his nose being  
only a dozen inches away from said crevasse. It smelt . . .  
nice, fresh, and it had a scent to it that he couldn't quite place  
down - but it still excited his senses and made him feel . . .  
good.

Ranko's blush increased tenfold at Ranma's  
involuntary inhale. She could practically feel the presence of  
his nose in-between her breasts. Quickly she placed her hands  
on his chest and pushed herself up and away from his face,  
but in turn ended up straddling him her hands on Ranma's  
chest. She groaned inwardly as she realized what position she'd put them in.

Ranma could feel a heat radiating from where Ranko  
was sitting on him, his stomach. Ranma found himself  
enjoying the feel of Ranko's body on his own and fought the  
blush he felt rising as well as other things (If you catch my  
drift. Wink, wink! Nudge, nudge! Say no more, say no more!  
the author is >Slap for being stupid . . . Sorry). He  
didn't know what to do. She wasn't making a mo-!

Ranma did a double take and looked straight into  
Ranko's eyes again. They were as blue as his, but there was  
something missing. Something wasn't right with her eyes.  
That's it! Ranma thought realizing what it was. They  
weren't-

>Slap

Slapping Ranma wasn't the best attack she could've  
used but it still worked in catching him off guard. Rolling off  
if his stomach, Ranko quickly hopped back to her feet in a  
ready position. Though she might have looked ready, she was  
still too embarrassed to think straight. The way they'd been  
sitting in that intimate position and with the whole school  
watching too. She wanted to hang her head shamefully but  
her pride wouldn't let her.

A slap was not what Ranma had been expecting.  
Maybe another attack to the groin seeing as her knees were in  
such good position to do so, but not a slap. In fact, if he  
didn't know any better, and trust me, he had a lot of  
knowledge on this subject, he'd say the slap hurt more than  
the kick to the groin.

Realizing his position, Ranma rolled backwards onto  
his feet and into a ready position himself. Ranko's not  
ready. he thought so himself, but didn't make a move to  
prove it.

What's he doing? Ranko thought as she watched  
Ranma hold his stance. She narrowed her eyes in thought  
until the answer came to her. He waiting for me to get ready.  
Guess he wants a fair fight. She mentally shrugged. It was  
his loss after all.

The two stood in silence for what seemed like an  
eternity to the other. What neither knew was that they were  
both using the same strategy. Start off on the defense and  
improvise from there. What neither were expecting was the  
large "Red Hammer" gang member I mentioned earlier to  
finally enter the fight.

With a loud "Kiya!" the impressively large fighter  
lunged at Ranma's backside.

Sparing a backward glance at the slowly incoming  
attack, Ranma took three steps toward the attacker. With an  
incredible display of strength, though to Ranma it wasn't  
much, he caught the fighter under the chin and her belly with  
both hands. Bending his legs, he grit his teeth as he threw  
the sumo sized fighter in Ranko's direction.

Seeing her chance, Ranko ran at the flying flab of fat,  
leapt at it, and used it as a springboard to launch herself at  
Ranma, effectively slamming the fighter into the ground.  
Twisting in mid air, Ranko formed an incredibly fast jump  
kick aimed at Ranma's head.

Ducking under the attack, Ranma grabbed the back of  
Ranko's skirt as she flew by. Strong material. he thought  
as he pulled back on it throwing her back the way she came.  
Of course, he received a kick to the back of the head for his  
troubles as she passed by. Stumbling back a bit, he turned to  
face Ranko again.

Using the fat fighter like a trampoline, Ranko shot  
herself back at Ranma again. Landing in front of him, she  
attempted a roundhouse and quick sweep before blocking a  
kick to the chest with both arms. Staggering back two steps,  
she back flipped once to regain her balance, but was  
bombarded with a flurry of punches a moment after.

Ranma continued to throw punch after punch at  
Ranko, making sure they weren't all hitting and that the ones  
that did connected weren't all out. He had to admit he was  
having a good time as Ranko proved to be a much better  
challenge than Kuno and Akane had. He tried an easily  
readable sweep.

Ranko hopped up and kicked at his face.

Ranma grabbed around her right thigh, underneath the  
hem of her skirt and twisted, causing her whole body to turn  
with his hands.

Ranko caught herself from hitting the ground with  
both hands, but froze at the feeling of Ranma's hands so high  
up her leg. She noted Ranma hadn't moved too, probably  
frozen as well, and forcing down her embarrassment for the  
time being kicked Ranma in the chest with her left foot,  
successfully causing him to release her and roll away.

Coming to his feet, Ranma noticed Ranko was  
blushing just as much as he was and suddenly felt even more  
embarrassed. Gulp quietly to himself, he shook his head  
trying to clear the blush. How come he felt this way? He  
hadn't felt this way when Shampoo or Ukyou had glomped  
onto him all the time, so why was he feeling this way now.  
Maybe it's because I don't have my curse anymore. he  
reasoned. But to be turned on by what your curse used to  
look like! Is that even right?

Ranko, noticing Ranma's out of place look, shook  
away her discomfort and made a beeline run straight at him.  
Unfortunately, or fortunately in Ranma's case, because of her  
earlier chagrin she didn't see the bokken stuck in the ground  
in front of her.

Having still been out of it, Ranma hadn't even been  
ready for any kind of attack, so when Ranko crashed into  
him, he did nothing but take the brunt of the collision. He  
tired shaking his head clear, but two round object prevented  
him from shaking it completely. Two very firm, round object,  
which Ranma knew all too well, just not from that position.

Ranko continued gasping for air, not even noticing  
Ranma's head and how it was stuck in-between her breasts,  
but instead silently cursing at herself for tripping. She quickly  
glanced up, looking around for Ranma. Where'd he go?  
she thought frantically looking back and forth from side to  
side. It was about that time Ranko realized something was  
lodged between her breasts.

Ranma's mind was racing. Sure he'd been in this  
situation before, but he'd never quite enjoyed it this much.  
He didn't quite know what it was, but the way and the feeling  
of Ranko squirm like she was on top of him. He just hope she  
didn't kick him in the balls again fearing something might  
snap.

Placing both hands on the ground, Ranko pushed off  
and away from Ranma into a roll. Hopping to her feet, she  
immediately lunged at Ranma with both feet extended  
intending to cave in his gut.

Turning onto his stomach, Ranma spring boarded off  
the ground and away from the attack. Coming to his feet, he  
watched Ranko falter after landing. She's still unoriented.  
he thought looking at her, her face being red from  
embarrassment and anger. At least she doesn't have a  
mallet. he added with a small sigh of relief.

Ranko almost screamed out in frustration. She was  
being beaten by Ranma! It was just impossible! She'd  
considered activating her Demon Hunter ring at one point,  
but stopped as Ranma had yet to show any signs of being a  
youma. It didn't help that she couldn't think straight without  
her damn sex drive interfering.

I gotta find a way to end this without hurtin' her. She  
may act like me, but she sure as hell isn't me. Because there  
can only be one, true, Ranma Saotome! Ranma thought  
ego bloated having realized that Ranko, was in fact, not an  
exact copy of himself only female. Got it! But . . . it's the  
only thing that I can work in a situation like this. he thought  
to himself. But how to execute it? Little did Ranma know,  
Ranko gave him the perfect chance.

Said girl let out a frustrated sigh as she watched  
Ranma stare off into space. This had to be the third time  
since the fight started. Running up to him as quietly, Ranko  
shoved her fist into his gut as hard as she could. She was  
rewarded with a disheveled grunt before she kneed him in the  
face causing him to stumble back a few step, but remain  
standing. I'll just use his move against himself.

Snorting air through his hurting nose, Ranma moved  
to defend against her next attack, but faltered when he  
noticed Ranko wasn't in front of him anymore. He turned  
around quickly only to have something land on his shoulders.  
The next thing Ranma knew, he was staring straight at  
something thin and lacy.

Ranko was really starting to get pissed off at all the  
humiliating positions the two continued to end up in. Baka  
Ranma just had to turn around didn't he. She had intended  
to have the back of his head facing her nether region. Now  
his face was barely inches away from her pubic hair. She  
nearly broke out laughing when Ranma's short, fast paced  
breath tickled her, but held it in check instead opting to blush  
violently.

"Fef feawmph phootfs foo!" Ranma mumbled  
through Ranko's black skirt.

Ranko blinked. He was trying to talk to her at a time  
like this. "What?" she asked lifting up the side a of skirt and  
bending down to listen.

"I said, 'Red really suits you.' It goes good with your  
hair," Ranma answered speaking directly into her lower  
lingerie.

Ranko blinked again. "Oh. Thanks, I guess." Then she  
realized what he was talking about and flush the same color  
as her hair . . . and panties. Pushing down on her skirt, she  
forced it in front of Ranma's face so he was looking at the  
front of it instead of the underside. "Pervert!" she shouted  
before pulling her fist back and in a ready location.

"Wait! There something else you should know  
though," Ranma shouted desperately.

"What?" Ranko growled, fist still raised.

Bow before Saotome Ranma's vast knowledge of  
woman. Marvel at its superiority over yours. "It smelled  
kinda funny under there. Sorta fishy. Maybe you should get  
that checked out," Ranma said looking up, in-between  
Ranko's breast at her cherry red face. He wasn't sure if she  
was pissed or embarrassed.

Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow!  
Pow! Pow! Pow!

Well that answered that. "Ow! Stop with the fists and  
the hitting of my head will ya!" Ranma shouted before his  
left hand snake upward and grabbed onto Ranko's right  
breast.

Ranko's face went from anger/embarrassment to pure  
embarrassment as she felt Ranma squeeze her breast. She  
started hitting him harder.

"What the?" Ranma exclaimed from within Ranko's  
thighs before realizing his mistake. Switching hands, he  
grabbed Ranko left breast and pressed three fingers into her  
left shoulder blade.

Ranko's attacks slowed until finally she all together  
slumped over Ranma, her breasts pressing against the top of  
his head. Reaching up, he grabbed her with both hands above  
her hips, lifted her off his shoulders and placed her on the  
ground. He stood over her, hands on his hips, with his face  
slightly flush, but tried to hide it with the wide grin plastered  
over his face.

"Wha . . . what did you . . . do to me?" Ranko said  
tiredly. Every part of her body felt dead. He has to be a  
youma! I should've used my ring! she thought wanting to  
beat herself over the head for being beaten. She tried looking  
around for her friends, but couldn't muster enough strength to  
do even that.

"Hit some pressure points which drained all your  
battle aura. It'll wear off in a bit. You concede?" Ranma  
asked, his arms crossed over his chest and his face back to its  
normal color.

Ranko struggled to struggle, but found it useless.  
Letting out a long, deep sigh, Ranko replied, "Yeah, yeah.  
You've won for now." She glared up at him though she was  
smiling happily, if not somewhat annoyed. "Next time I'll  
win, though so you'd better watch out," she added growling  
jokingly.

"You sure seem happy for someone who just lost,"  
Ranma commented inquisitively.

"Yeah, well I know I'll get another chance. You don't  
seem like the type that only fights an opponent once," Ranko  
explained with a shrug. Or tried to shrug at least.

"Right . . ." Ranma didn't really care for the way she  
was acting. Way to happy for one thing. "I'll be right back.  
There's something I gotta do. Don't go anywhere," he added  
laughing at his own joke.

Ranko's eyes narrow at Ranma's retreating form.  
About five minutes later, she was on her hands and knees,  
pigtail drooped over her shoulder in defeat. After another  
couple of minutes passed, she felt someone grasp her  
shoulder. She nearly screamed thinking it was Kuno or one of  
her other pervert suitors trying to cope a feel.

"Come on you," Ranma said lifting her to her feat as  
he was then sporting his jacket and backpack again.  
"Wouldn't want ta leave here for your fans," he added  
smiling teasingly.

Ranko looked up in his eyes. His deep, ocean blue  
eyes with just a pinch of grey. The one thing that had caught  
her attention about them. How such a dull color could be held  
within such beautiful eyes. Just staring into them she wanted  
to . . . she wanted to . . . she wanted . . . >Crack

"That . . . was . . . low," Ranma squeaked out as he  
clutched his groin while kneeling on the ground in front of  
Ranko.

"In two cases actually. Just think of it as payback for  
grabbing in all those places," Ranko replied tiredly, straining  
to remain standing.

Rolling his eyes, Ranma responded, "You're right. I  
deserved that," before getting up, grabbing the back of  
Ranko's shirt and dragging her along with him. "Come on  
loser. I'll help you get class," he said smiling sardonically at  
the girl he was dragging.

"I don't need your help," Ranko muttered annoyed at  
Ranma's brashness.

"You sure? I could just leave you here," Ranma  
replied letting go of Ranko's shirt, but catching her inches  
away from the ground. "Or I could help you get to the  
classroom. Which will it be?" he asked exasperated.

"Fine," Ranko mumbled before being dragged along  
again. She would've tried an attack, but she was still tired  
from her last attack

"Jeez, they're acting as if somethin' ecchi happened,"  
Ranma commented after glancing around the crowd and  
noticing every student sporting a bloody nose, even the girls.

Ranko would've slapped herself if she had enough  
strength to do so.

* * *

Ranma and Ranko, now on her own two feet, entered  
the empty classroom a couple seconds before the bell rang.  
Both sighed in relief before they realized that the teacher  
wasn't in the classroom. They were heading toward their  
respected desks when a sudden blur flew through one of the  
nearby windows and attached itself to . . . Ranma's leg? 

"What the hell!" Ranma shouted while trying the  
shake the figure off his leg, kicking his leg into the air wildly.

Ranko was by his side immediately, leg cocked and  
ready to be kicked if needed be. "Need help?" she asked not  
taking her eyes off the figure.

"Saotome-san! I was so worried about you!" the  
figure shouted not releasing Ranma's thrashing leg.

"Umetsu-sensei! Is that you?" Ranko asked  
incredulously, trying to get a good look at the figure attached  
to Ranma's moving leg.

"Umetsu-sensei?" Ranma stopped shaking his leg and  
blinked in confusion before looking at the person hugging his  
leg.

"Saotome-san! I'm so glad you're back!" Umetsu-  
sensei cried hugging his leg tighter.

"Let go of my leg, teach! You're a human, not a damn  
dog!" Ranma shouted as he began hopping around the room,  
trying to kick his teacher off of his leg.

Ranko sighed before walking back to her desk and  
plopping down into her seat. This is too weird. she thought  
placing her head on her desk top and closing her eyes. A loud  
>Crash snapped her out of her sleepy state. Opening her  
eyes, she glance around the room before finding Ranma  
standing in front of a broken window, his foot extended  
toward it and Umetsu-sensei missing. As she looked at the  
window closer she recognized the shape of it and sweat-  
dropped heavily.

Ranma looked at Ranko, then back at the window,  
then back at Ranko shrugging his shoulders and saying, "At  
least he's off my leg," before retaking his seat.

Ranko sighed again. He was right, in a way. She  
shook her head in annoyance. Why should she care? Ranma  
was jerk when he wasn't being a nerd, fighting all perverted  
like he had. She could still feel his hands on her body, and  
rubbed the areas he touched to make the feeling go away. She  
stopped abruptly, blushing profusely as her mind grasped  
onto what she looked like. After removing her hands from her  
breast and the inside of her thigh, Ranko glanced at Ranma  
cautiously and breathed a sigh of relieve as his head was  
down on his desk.

She looked at the small bruises on her arms and  
exhaled to herself. She glanced around the empty room once  
as well. Now is as good a time as any. Ranko thought  
before standing up and walking over to Ranma. "Hey  
Ranma?" she asked when she arrived at his desk.

A silent grunt was her only response which she took  
as either a "what" or a "yes".

"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" she asked  
curiously though with a hint of malice.

A large word bubble appeared over Ranma's head  
proclaiming his state to her. "Zzzzzzzzzzzz."

Ranko sweat dropped and returned to her desk, left  
eye twitching slightly. I'll ask him later.

* * *

"How the hell did you do that?" a voice shouted at  
Ranma's back as he sat alone during the lunch break. 

He turned in his seat to face the speaker. "Oro?"  
Ranma asked with a classic Kenshin expression. Who the  
heck is this guy?

"How'd you beat up Akane and Kuno-san like that?  
Not that I care mind you seeing as it gave me a chance to skip  
class an' all, but I just gotta know!" the boy with Mousse type  
glasses exclaimed as he took a seat next to Ranma.

"And you are . . .?" Ranma asked carefully and  
curiously to the boy next to him. After having the lunch bell  
wake him up, he quickly exited the classroom via window  
fearing Ranko's wrath. If she had any that was, as Ranma  
noted she didn't follow him out the window or attack him  
while he slept.

The boy blink at Ranma, or at least Ranma thought he  
did seeing as he couldn't see the boys eyes behind his glasses.  
"What the hell does that mean?" the boy shouted in horror.

Ranma opened his mouth to answer but was cut off  
before he could.

"Oh, wait! I get it. Now that you're all high and  
mighty on the kickass chart, you don't have time to hang out  
with your best friend, huh! That's it isn't it?" the boy cried  
hotly, nearly spitting in Ranma's face as he did so.

Interesting choice of words. Ranma thought sweat  
dropping slightly and eyeing the boy warily. He gave the boy  
a one over before what he was hoping for hit him. "Umino!"  
he shouted knocking said boy over. "Er . . . aheh, sorry 'bout  
that," he finished sheepishly.

Picking himself up, Umino eyed Ranma cautiously.  
"Riiiight . . ," he drew out slowly.

"Sorry 'bout that. It's just that things have been really  
messed up lately for me," Ranma explained.

"Oh. Ok," Umino replied with a shrug.

Ranma considered face-faulting but didn't really feel  
up to it.

"As long as we're still friends though," he added a  
couple seconds later.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Ranma replied with a shrug  
of his own not really caring. He was too hungry to really care.  
Should've packed a lunch or somethin' before I left.

"Cool! I'm friends with the most bad ass person in the  
school!" Umino exclaimed before he started to cabbage patch  
in his seat.

This time Ranma did face-fault. "What the hell are  
you doing?" Ranma asked in wonder as his supposed friend  
continued his cabbage patch dance.

"Celebrating of course. What else would I being  
doing?" Umino replied then started moving his arms as if he  
were rowing an invisible boat.

Ranma face-faulted again. And I'm friends with him  
because . . ? he thought before his mind reminded him.  
Because no one else would be friends with you. "Oh,"  
Ranma said softly to himself.

"Oh, what?" Umino asked stopping his dance.

"Oh . . . um . . . er . . . aha! I just remembered  
something about prehistoric Homo-sapiens! Yeah, that's it!"  
Ranma exclaimed quickly confused by his choice of words.  
The old him would never say something like that.

"Oh. Okay," Umino said after pushing his glass off  
the tip of his nose then added, "I gotta question."

"Shoot."

"Where'd you learn to fight like that, and can you  
teach me?" Umino asked suddenly in Ranma's face.

"Ah!" Ranma shouted, falling over with his arms  
wind-milling.

"Hey, you ok?" Umino asked hovering over Ranma's  
face.

"Yes," Ranma replied place a hand on Umino's face  
and pushing him away, "and no. I can't teach you and I can't  
tell you where I learned it. It's too complicated," finished  
sitting back up.

"Oh . . . ok, I got another question."

Ranma sighed, "What?"

"Is that why they're extinct? Because they were  
Homo -sapiens?"

". . . Umino, Homo-sapiens are people."

"Hey, I'm not judging anyone here!"

Ranma sighed solemnly.

* * *

Ranma sighed wistfully as he walked away from  
Furinkan High ignoring each and every student as they eyed  
him openly. He was glad the day had ended, because he still  
hadn't had anything to eat so his growling stomach was  
eagerly prompting him to return home. Whistling the same  
tune he'd done that morning, he hopped up onto a nearby  
fence and started speed walking down the length. 

He thought back to Umino and how strange his  
personality was. One second he's talking about something,  
and the next he's on a complete different subject. Though he  
was annoying at time, Ranma admitted to himself he owed,  
or rather his nerd self, Umino a whole lot.

Umino had been the one that dragged his carcass out  
of the swimming pool when Akane almost drown him.  
Umino had been the one that pulled the bokken out of his . . .  
ass. Every time he'd been bullied in the past, Umino had  
come along and helped him out afterwards. Of course,  
Ranma couldn't blame him for not interfering while he was  
getting beaten because Umino just wasn't the type of guy that  
would. Not to mention he'd probably just end up getting his  
ass beaten as well.

He owed it to Umino to remain his friend, even if he  
was weird at times. With that thought, Ranma small smile  
grew wider knowing he had at least one friend in the new  
world he was in.

* * *

Ranko quickly made her way through the gaping  
crowd of students. As she made her way to the front gates, a  
voice called out to her stopping her momentarily. 

"Hey, Ranko! Wait up!" Makoto called as she and the  
Senshi ran up to her.

"What?" she asked quickly glancing at the front gates  
then back to her friends.

"Where're you going?" Rei answered with a question  
of her own.

"There's something I gotta do. I'll see you guys later,"  
Ranko explained rapidly before taking off again, her pigtail  
flapping violently behind her.

The other girls blinked at each other before following  
Ranko out the front gates.

"Hey, she's going the wrong way. Her home's that  
way," Ami commented pointing the opposite direction Ranko  
was running.

"Looks like she's following Ranma. See, you can see  
him just ahead, up on the fence," Usagi exclaimed pointing at  
Ranma's shrinking form.

"First he beats up Kuno-san and Akane. Then he gets  
Ranko to follow him around instead of it being the other  
way around, and now he's running on fences. Maybe next  
he'll be beating up youma's," Rei joked.

"Yeah, it's quite a sight to see Ranko follow a guy for  
once," Makoto added.

"Hey! I just realized something!" Usagi exclaimed  
suddenly causing the others to fall over.

"That your brain is pea sized," Rei muttered rubbing  
her now sore head.

"Nope! Ranko's skipping study. Does this mean we  
get to, too?" Usagi asked Ami eagerly.

* * *

After waiting ten minutes so Ranma wouldn't think  
she'd followed him straight there she'd had enough. Standing  
up, Ranko walked toward the wall Ranma had jumped over  
intending to give the Saotome family an unexpected guest.  
She just hoped it wasn't that Saotome. No, she didn't hope.  
She prayed. 

Walking through the front gate quietly so's not to  
disturb anything or one, Ranko stopped and stared. The house  
was huge! Well not the house technically, but the property  
was. The house was about the same size as the Tendo home  
except it was completely covered by a second story and the  
backyard 'L'd around the house. She figured they could fit at  
least three dojo's in that open space.

Regaining her wits, Ranko started for the front door.  
She stopped before knocking when she noticed something in  
the corner of her eye. Turning to the 'something' she blinked  
curiously at the large crack in the wall. Walking closer, to get  
a better look, Ranko soon noticed what appeared to be a foot  
print where the crack originated.

"What the hell?" she muttered fingering the crack  
gingerly.

Turning around, she caught sight of a shadow moving  
around the corner of the house. Shrugging her shoulders, her  
pigtail bouncing along with them, she headed to the shadow.  
What the shadow turned out to be surprised her.

Ranma was in the backyard preforming a slow yet  
graceful kata. With his eyes closed, he never noticed Ranko  
staring at him, or when she sat down quietly. Her mind must  
have fallen asleep watching his kata because her mouth open  
. . .

"What's that kata called?" . . . and put her foot in it.

"Bah!" Ranma blurted falling over onto his face.  
"What the hell! When did you get here!" he exclaimed  
nervously.

"Um . . . a while ago," Ranko replied sheepishly,  
rubbing the back of her head and blushing faintly. "Sorry."

Ranma laughed out loud at Ranko's familiar  
expression, before smiling broadly and replying, "It's ok. If I  
had continued any longer I probably would've fallen asleep."

Ranko's blush deepened slightly at Ranma's smile,  
but not as bad as any of her earlier blushes. "So . . . um, are  
you the one that did that to the wall?" she asked nodding her  
head in the direction of the crack.

"You know that wall?" Ranma responded before  
shaking his head slightly saying, "That damn wall."

"Um . . . riiiight . . . I just stopped by to say I'm sorry  
for kicking you in the . . . um . . . well you know. It's your  
body part," Ranko apologized, the tips of her ears tingling as  
she looked at anything other than Ranma.

"Phew! I thought you were gonna kick me in the balls  
again," Ranma said jokingly, wiping imaginary sweat from  
his forehead. Then he noticed Ranko's miffed look. With  
eyes wide, and arms waving around frantically, Ranma added  
quickly, "Just joking! Just joking! Apology accepted! Heh."

A long silence elapsed, neither knowing what to say.  
Finally Ranko broke it. "So what was that kata called?" she  
asked curiously and slightly nervously.

"Huh? Oh, the one is was doing? I was just making it  
up while I did it. So it really doesn't have a name," Ranma  
replied with a shrug, not taking his eyes of off Ranko. He still  
didn't fully trust her.

"Here's a question," Ranko said after another short  
moment of silence.

"Why does everyone keep proclaiming to me that  
they're gonna ask a question?" Ranma asked no one in  
particular.

"Maybe so you'll be better prepared to answer it,"  
Ranko replied smugly.

"Good point," Ranma agreed nodding his head.

"Where'd you learn how to fight like that?" Ranko  
asked, curiosity and suspicion mixed together.

"Thought you'd probably ask that so I've already got  
my answer ready," Ranma replied crossing his arms over his  
chest.

"So what is it?"

"No. I won't tell you. It's not that I can't, I could if I  
wanted too, but I just won't. I doubt you'd understand  
anyway," Ranma explained sternly.

Ranko blinked before taking a step away from him.  
She'd never seen him this serious. Ok. The direct approach  
didn't work. Time for plan B. Smiling cutely and opening  
her eyes wide so they'd shine brightly, Ranko turned up her  
kawaii factor tenfold. "Pleeeaaaassseeee, can you tell me?"  
she asked with a voice that could melt butter.

Ranma grimaced as if he's just eaten a batch of  
Akane's homemade cookies. "You're just trying to make a  
mountain out of a mole hill aren't you. I said no," he replied  
as firm as he could. Now he knew why he got some much  
free ice-cream.

Ranko's smile turned into a frown, then a pout and  
soon enough eye eyes were brimmed with wetness. She  
sniffled slightly. "Then, can you do one thing for me?" she  
asked wiping away a stray tear.

Damn, she's good! Ranma thought nervously trying  
desperately not to feel sorry and failing terribly. "What?" he  
sighed miserably.

"Can >Sniff can you promise to answer my next  
question?"

Gulping, Ranma replied unsteadily, "Wa-well, it  
depends on the questions, but su-sure. Just-just stop cryin',  
kay?" Hesitantly he place a hand on her smaller shoulder.

>Whimper "Kay," Ranko responded wiping the  
wetness away from her eyes while smiling on the inside.  
Sucker.

I'm such a sucker. Ranma thought vexed by his  
weakness.

"Have you been in contact with any demons or odd  
looking characters lately?" Ranko asked straight forward  
trying to ignore Ranma's large hand so close to her neck.

"Erk!" Ranma exclaimed removing his hand as if it'd  
been burned, the whole left side of his face twisted into a  
grimace. What the hell kinda question is that? he  
thought before closing his eyes and thinking back. Well,  
Happosai. He's considered a demon and is odd looking.  
Cologne too for that matter, but I think she means in this  
world. . . . Nope. Running a blank. Waita minute! His eyes  
were open in more than one way. "You know what? I can tell  
you something."

"What?"

Ranma grinned. "I was trained by a man named  
Happosai." Hopefully he's still in his cave.

* * *

Somewhere in China, the Bayankala mountains of the  
Xinghai Province to be exact, an old shriveled up man  
sneezed. 

-God bless you,- his companion replied in Chinese.

-Thank you, Mu Tsu,- the little man replied sincerely.

* * *

"Happosai?" Ranko asked curiously. 

"Yeah. Old guy. Small, 'bout 3 feet tall. He  
disappeared after teachin' me what I need to know though,"  
Ranma explained with a shrug, before heading toward the  
house's back door.

Happosai huh? He could be lying, but he sounded  
honest. The name and body structure don't really sounds  
Dark Kingdom related. Ranko mused.

"So you didn't come here for revenge, shorty?"  
Ranma asked from where he stood, chewing the last remains  
of a sandwich.

Said insulted blinked before frowning at Ranma. Just  
when she was getting used to him, he had to go along and  
insult her. "Shorty? Who're you calling shorty, jerk!" Ranko  
retorted walking up to Ranma.

"Jerk! Who're you callin' a jerk, peewee!" Ranma  
shot back, his face now only inches from Ranko's.

"Peewee! Who're you calling peewee, pervert?"  
Ranko shouted straight into Ranma face, grabbing his the  
sides of his head with both hands so he couldn't move it.

"Well, seeing as you're the only peewee around, it  
must be you . . . peewee!" Ranma replied honestly before  
shouting out the end, their noses just touching now.

"Yeah, well . . .," Ranko started before licking her  
lips. Why was that they were so dry all of the sudden? She  
released a shuddering breathe which caressed Ranma's own  
lips and drying them out as well. Why was she kept ending  
up in such intimate positions with him. Was it that she liked  
being this close to him. Maybe she really did have a thing for  
him. I do not! a small part of her rebelled while the rest  
sang a whole different tune. She like the look of his body,  
and the vibrant color in his eyes made the area in-between her  
legs scream to be scratched.

Ranma licked his lips, swallowed nervously, and with  
wavering eyes, trying not to break eye contact with the girl in  
front of him. Once again, he was stumped. Usually when he  
was in a position like this, a mallet would interfere. But here  
was a girl, who looked exactly like his female form, short,  
lively, beautiful, and robust. Virtually perfect in every way.  
For him that was, being so much like himself. He didn't  
know what it was, but knowing that the girl in front of him  
wasn't himself or a demon, or created by magic or out to  
marry him made him feel . . . good? But why? The fact that  
she wasn't letting go of his face wasn't helping either. He just  
hoped she didn't look down anytime soon.

Neither notice a bush at the far end of the yard stand  
up and run away.

Finally she couldn't take it anymore. She needed  
release! Reaching further back, Ranko grasped the back of  
Ranma's head before pulling it forward and pressing her lips  
against his hotly. Fiercely, like an animal to its prey, she  
clutched his back, forcing their bodies together.

Ranma's eyes bulged at first contact nearly falling out  
of their sockets. Every second, moment, he expected a mallet  
to appear and smash his straight to heaven. But it never came  
and Ranma sighed through Ranko's lips, the tension leaving  
his body causing him to kiss back without knowing it. His  
arms strolled around his small waist onto the small of her  
back, pressing her closer.

"You're not gonna kick me in the balls again, are  
you?" Ranma asked nervously, a bead of sweat running down  
his forehead. (I'm a bastard aren't I?)

Ranko blinked her way out of her fantasy before  
realizing just where she was and that she hadn't just kissed  
him. "Wha . . . Ah!" she shouted, immediately releasing  
Ranma's face and falling onto her butt. "Who? What?  
Where? When? How?" she asked in rapid succession, a deep  
blush riding across the bridge of her nose.

Ranma blinked twice, responding, "Ranma. I don't  
know what, what is? My house. Just a couple seconds ago,  
and, nothing happened, so there's no real answer to that last  
one."

Ranko sweat dropped, staring blankly at Ranma. "Um  
. . . ok."

"Er . . . sorry. That just came out," Ranma said  
sheepishly scratching the back off head.

"Help me up will ya?" Ranko asked holding her arm  
out to Ranma.

Grasping Ranko's out stretched arm, Ranma hefted  
her to her feet in one simple pulled. He grinned at her, not  
releasing her hand.

She smile back shyly, still slightly red from her brief  
fantasy.

They both heard a thump and turned to see what it  
was.

"Wah! MY son's so manly!" Nodoka cried from the  
backdoor, where she lay on her side.

"Erk!" Ranma exclaimed snapping his hand away  
from Ranko's and sweat dropping uneasily watching his  
mothers antics.

Oh no! It is this Saotome! Ranko felt like crying  
herself. How can Ranma be sane? she thought frantically.

"Oh my son! You're so manly!" Nodoka wailed  
suddenly holding Ranma in a tight embrace, tears flowing  
like a waterfall.

"Oro!" 0o; ( I'd like to make a note that I was the  
first to do this, for I have never seen it used in a fanfic before.  
I don't know if it has been, but to me, it hasn't. And I read a  
lot of fanfic. Thank for your time)

Ranko began tiptoeing away, not wanting to be  
included in Nodoka's hugging spree. Didn't work.

"Ranko-chan!" Nodoka shouted clutching Ranko  
tighter than she had Ranma, who was at that time, gasping for  
air. Holding Ranko at arm length. "Ranko-chan! Why didn't  
you tell me you were in a relationship with my son?" the  
older woman cried happily.

"Er. . ." was the only reply she got.

"You know my mom?" Ranma shouted in horror.  
This did not mean anything good.

"Of course she does! I take her lingerie shopping from  
time to time! Why just recently I bought her a matching pair  
of red, lacy bra and panties!" Nodoka continued joyously.

Ranko sweat dropped miserably.

Ranma felt her pain, casting her another sympathetic  
look.

Ranko glared at him.

Ranma shrank back slightly at the withering gaze.  
"Uh . . . mom. Ranko was just lacying. Ack! Leaving!  
Leaving!" he shouted nervously.

"Yeah. I really need to go, Mrs. Saoto-," Ranko  
started, straining a false, toothy smile.

Glaring motherly, Nodoka cut in, "How many times  
do I have to tell you, call me Auntie."

"Sorry, Auntie," Ranko muttered dejectedly.

"It's ok, though you shouldn't really call me that  
anymore," Nodoka replied proudly, her head held high.

"Huh?" Ranko was confused. Mrs. Saoto- er . . .  
Auntie always made her call her . . . Auntie. She smiled  
widely thinking she was being let off the 'Auntie' hook.

"Yes. You should call me mom now."

Ranko considered fainting, but figured it was unlady  
like to do so.

"Uh . . . mom? Ranko's really got to go," Ranma said  
cutting in meekly from the sidelines.

"Yeah! I gotta go cook dinner for my family! They'll  
starve if I don't," Ranko lied anxiously wanting nothing more  
than to get the hell away.

Or they'll die from Akane's cooking. both Ranma  
and Ranko thought simultaneously.

"Oh, and I was going to ask you to stay for dinner,"  
Nodoka responded sadly, and hand laid delicately on her  
cheek.

"Yeah, well . . . yeah," Ranko replied lamely.

"Well, Ranko has to get going now," Ranma said  
from behind his mother while giving Ranko shooing motions.

"Yeah, bye!" Ranko shouted before dashing off.

Ranma heaved a sigh of relief.

"Oh Ranma, why don't you escort Ranko home. It's  
not safe for a lady to walk around on her own you know,"  
Nodoka commented knowingly.

Ranma glance around. It was brighter than a flashlight  
in the face out. "But-!"

"No buts. Now go escort your girlfriend home,"  
Nodoka order pointing in the direction of the front gates.

"Yes, mom," Ranma grumbled walking off.

"And while you're gone, I'll be preparing a 'Welcome  
back safely' meal!" she called out to he retreating form which  
immediately sped up. "Ah! Young love," Nodoka sighed  
before freezing with a far away look plastered on her face.

* * *

"I thought you said Ranma was nothing to worry  
about?" the lamps shadow accused harshly. 

"I never said such a thing," the figure sitting at the  
long steel desk replied simply.

"What happened to him?" the bookshelves shadow  
asked.

"What happened to him is a mystery to me. I don't  
know how he did it but his interference has cost us some  
delays," Gosunkugi replied sternly, hands folded in front of  
his face.

"So what are you planning to do?" the chairs shadow  
asked just as harshly as before.

Gosunkugi didn't even twitch. "I'm putting the plan  
on hold for the time being. I have a feeling this change in  
Ranma is going to help us."

"Is that so?" his own shadow replied.

"Yes, Ebony Shadow. It is," he responded closing his  
eyes and smiling a very small, very cold smile.

* * *

"Hey Ranko! Wait up!" Ranma shouted as he ran  
after the pigtailed girl. 

"Huh?" Ranko turned around only to nearly have  
Ranma run her over. "Hey! Watch it!" she shouted startled by  
his abrupt appearance.

"Sorry," Ranma replied rubbing the back of his head  
while blushing embarrassingly.

"S'okay. Just watch it next time. If you don't . . . I'll  
cream ya," Ranko replied mockingly, waving a small fist in  
front of Ranma face.

Brushing the fist away and rolling his eyes, Ranma  
responded sarcastically, "Ha Ha! Very funny."

"So, waddaya want?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"My moms makin' me walk you home. Says it's 'not  
safe for a lady to walk around on her own'," Ranma  
explained in a exasperated voice and started down the road,  
Ranko at his side.

"Lady," Ranko snorted before turning to Ranma and  
shouting accusingly, "Why didn't you tell me she was your  
mom?"

"How was I supposed to know you knew my mom?"  
Ranma shot back throwing his arms up into the air.

Ranko sighed. "How can you live with that woman?"

"Well I haven't lived with her all that long," Ranma  
muttered.

"What?" Ranko asked curiously.

"Nothing! Aheh," Ranma responded quickly, grinning  
panicky. "So . . . red panties huh? Those wouldn't happen to  
be the ones your wear right now would they?" he asked  
teasingly. He sighed mentally. Me and my big mouth.

Ranko slugged him in the gut before muttering,  
"Pervert."

"I deserved that," Ranma breathed sharply. One  
benefit about being merge with his nerd self was that he knew  
when he was wrong. Catching his breath, Ranma jogged after  
the petite redhead.

"Why are you still following me?" Ranko asked  
Ranma plainly once he'd caught up.

Ranma shrugged. "Because I don't feel like spendin'  
time with my mom right now. Knowing her, she's already  
planning our wedding."

Ranko shuddered. "You're probably right, but that  
doesn't mean you have to follow me. Why don't you go  
bug someone else?"

"Because you're right here an' I don't feel like finding  
someone else," Ranma explained smoothly, smiling proudly  
at his thought out answer. The real question on his mind was,  
'why didn't he find someone else to bother?'. It'd be much  
easier, so why stay with her?

Ranko sighed. "Fine. Whatever. Come on. It's this  
way."

"I know the way," Ranma retorted in response to her  
aggravated tone.

"How the hell do you know the way?" Ranko asked  
suspiciously as the continued along their merry way.

"I know the streets of Nerima like the back of my  
hand," Ranma answered casually with a wave of his hand.  
"Hey, what's that?" he said looking at the back of his hand.  
He licked his other hands thumb and rubbed the odd mark.  
"Oh! Just dirt. Heh."

Ranko slapped herself in the face.

"So, do you really do all the cooking? For the Tendo's  
that is," Ranma implored.

"Yeah. I'm pretty good too," Ranko replied honestly,  
hands in her pockets.

"Oh. Why's that?" Ranma questioned though he  
figured he already knew the answer.

"I took a ten year long training trip when I was 5. It  
was either cook or starve. I chose cook," Ranko said with a  
simple shrug, her tail going along with it.

"Ten years huh? So who taught you?" Ranma asked  
curiously wanting to know who other than his father had  
suffered under the master of the Anything Goes School.

Ranko remained silent and walked ahead at a fast  
pace.

Smooth one, baka! Ranma thought glumly before  
catching up the Ranko once more. Grasping her shoulder  
gently, her turned her to face him smiling sympathetically.  
"Sorry 'bout bringing up unwanted memories there. Didn't  
know."

Ranko looked up at him, into his caring, concern  
filled eyes. Why was it that he could be caring one moment  
and a total idiot the next? She swatted his hand away, turn  
and started walking again. "What do you know?" she asked  
curtly.

More than you think, Ranko. Ranma thought  
shaking his head wearily. "So, seeing as I beat you, does that  
mean you own me date?" he asked jokingly.

"I don't owe you anything. Leave me alone."

"No. Think about it. You don't like having to fight  
your "fan club" everyday do you?"

"No."

"Well , if we pretend we're goin' out, they'll leave  
you alone. After all, I beat you fair an' square. Them too. We  
pretend we're going out, they won't bother you. I'm sure of  
it," Ranma explained somewhat excitedly. He remember  
Akane's old fan club and how they'd backed off once they'd  
heard the two were engaged. And after he'd beaten up Kuno  
of course.

"You really think that would work?" Ranko asked  
curiously, glancing at Ranma out of the corner of her eye. She  
didn't even know why she was thinking about agreeing with  
what he was saying. It sounded logical, but also . . . a little  
suspicious. "Or are you just trying to make me your pretend  
boyfriend so you can go and brag to your friends?"

"Ranko? Do you know how many friends I have?"

Ranko shook her head.

"One. And his name's Umino."

"You're friends with Umino?" Ranko asked in  
wonder.

"He's all I got," Ranma replied plainly placing his  
hands behind his head as he walked.

"Wellllll, I'll consider it. I still don't know though,"  
Ranko said thinking it over. It might work.

"Think of it this way. We won't have to do anything,  
just say we're a couple. Then lie about a bunch of other  
stuff," Ranma explained easily not taking his eyes off the  
road ahead.

"Yeah, but what if someone asks us to do something?  
Like hug or kiss?" Ranko asked inquisitively, a small blush  
donning her cheeks.

"Well, the hugging I can deal with, but for the kissin'.  
We might have to use the Saotome School of Anything  
Goes: Final Attack on that one," Ranma answered with an  
amused smirk.

Ranko couldn't stop the oncoming onslaught and  
burst out laughing, startling the nearby pedestrians.

Ranma's smile grew wider at Ranko's reaction. He  
really like the sound of her laugh. It was carefree as if she  
hadn't a worry in the world.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Ranko spotted their  
upcoming position. "The bridge!" she shouted dashing ahead.

"Huh?" Ranma exclaimed before running after  
Ranko. "What bridge?"

"I though you knew Nerima like the back your hand?"  
Ranko mock teased.

"I thought I did too."

"This is Cherry Bridge. It's one of my favorite places  
to hang out when I need someone to talk to," Ranko  
explained.

"Why's it called Cherry Bridge though?" Ranma  
asked eyeing the old wooden bridge that gave passage over a  
small creek.

"Because I live here," a voice replied from beside  
him.

Glancing to his right, Ranma screamed in horror  
going into a classic Takakashi pose, pinky, index finger, and  
thumb extended on each hand. "Ah! Happosai!" Then he got  
a better look. "Wait a minute. You're not Happosai. Who're  
you?"

"I'm Cherry," Cherry replied annoyed.

"What the heck type of name is Cherry?" Ranma  
asked perplexed.

"What the heck kinda name is Ranma?" Cherry  
responded in kind.

"I'll have you know, Ranma's a perfectly fine na-!  
How'd you know my name?"

"I have my ways," Cherry replied mysteriously before  
turning to Ranko. "Ranko, my dear, how have you been? I  
haven't seen you around lately."

"Sorry, Cherry-san. I've been really busy lately. I'll  
try and stop by more often though," Ranko answered with a  
small frown.

"So if you live here, does that make you a bum or  
somethin'?" Ranma asked. Already he didn't care for Cherry,  
as the shriveled old man reminded him to much of the old  
ghoul.

"Yes, something like that," Cherry replied giving  
Ranma a warning glare.

Ranma glared back just as much.

"Ah . . . we gotta get going Cherry. I'll see you later,  
kay?" Ranko asked nervously, looking back and forth  
between the two.

"Okay, Ranko-chan," Cherry replied not breaking his  
gaze.

"Come on Ranma, lets go."

"I think this would be a good time to go our separate  
ways," Ranma responded holding Cherry's gaze.

"Uh . . . alright. See ya, Ranma!" Ranko called while  
darting across the small bridge and out of sight.

Five minutes later and the two were still holding eye  
contact. Ranma spoke first. "I don't like you."

"And I you."

"Then I guess we're on even terms."

"I guess we are."

Another long silence past, this time having Cherry  
break it. "Stay away from Ranko-chan."

"Why?"

"I can tell just by looking at you that you're nothing  
but trouble."

Ranma snorted. "You wish, old man. You can't make  
me do nothin'."

"You blinked."

"Huh?"

"You blinked."

"No I didn't!"

"You just did again!"

"I did not!"

"You lost!"

"I'll show you who 'lost', old man!"

* * *

"Ah, Ranko, just the girl I wanted to see," Nabiki said  
from in front of her bedroom. 

"Huh? What do want, Nabs?" Ranko asked curiously  
walking up to her cousin.

Nabiki hid her grimace at the name Ranko called her  
and beckoned her redheaded cousin into her room. "In here, if  
you please."

"Er . . . ok," Ranko said strolling into Nabiki's room.  
"Whatcha want?"

"I know what you did," Nabiki started firmly.

"What I do?" Ranko asked baffled.

"Don't play dumb! I know all about your rendevous  
with Ranma," Nabiki snapped back.

"How do you know about that?" Ranko asked  
surprised and slightly tense.

Nabiki just looked at her.

"Oh yeah," Ranko finally said as lamely as one could.

"What did you think you were doing?" Nabiki asked  
flatly.

"Um . . . eating," Ranko responded. She had no idea  
why Nabiki was chewing her out so badly. All she did was  
share an okonomiyaki with him.

Nabiki's eyebrow rose. Eating? She doubted that they  
were just 'eating'. From what I saw today, they definitely  
didn't just eat. "Why?" she asked simply.

"Well he payed for it," Ranko replied reminding  
herself to thank him sharing his lunch.

Kami-sama in heaven! My cousin's become a  
prostitute! Nabiki felt sick. This is all Ranma's fault! she  
thought angrily. "What about after school today? I saw you  
following him."

"You saw that too?" Ranko cried embarrassed at  
being caught.

"Yes, I saw that too."

"No-nothing happened," Ranko stammered blushing  
badly as she recalled their close encounter and strange  
fantasy.

Nabiki saw Ranko blush and added to her already  
wrong conclusion. They must've done again! I've never  
seen Ranko blush so badly! she thought worriedly. "Ok,  
Ranko. You can go."

Leaving the room, Ranko wondered just what the hell  
was wrong with Nabiki.

Closing her door, Nabiki hurried back to her desk and  
began filtering through the piles of papers atop it. Find the  
one she was apparently looking for, she grabbed her cell  
phone and began dialing the number printed on the paper.

* * *

His phone rang once. Then twice. Then a third time.  
Sighing to himself, a young man, no more than 16 years of  
age pulled a cell phone from his pants pocket. Pushing the on  
button through the 4th ring, he sighed into the phone. 

"What do want? You're interrupting my meditation,"  
he said wearily into the phone.

There was a sudden rapid muttering heard coming  
from the caller.

"Nabiki!" the boy shouted springing out of his lotus  
position.

More incoherent mutter was heard.

"Yes, what is it?"

More mumbling.

"What? You can't be serious? No one's better than  
me!" A pause for more muttering. "Nerima. Furinkan High.  
Gotcha. What's the guys name?"

Two words were mumbled this time.

"Ranma Saotome, eh? I'll show him who's the better  
fighter" he said before hanging up the phone. "Ranma  
Saotome. Prepare yourself," he whispered gripping the phone  
tightly in his fist which suddenly decided to shatter into a  
million tiny pieces. "Because the greatest fighter in all Japan  
is coming after you," he finished flashing a toothy grin.

"Worthless piece of junk," the slightly fanged boy  
muttered wiping the phones remains from his hands.

* * *

Ranma dumped a bucket of cold water over his head,  
shivering fiercely, washing off all the soap. He couldn't wait  
to get in the hot furo. All throughout dinner his mom had  
pestered him about him camping trip and about Ranko and how  
perfect a woman she was. He nearly rammed his head into the  
table when she brought up the subject of grandchildren. 

Heading to the water tap, Ranma froze in his tracks.  
Slowly he turned his head to look behind him. And stared. He  
now knew what was on his back. He swallow lightly before  
taking a step closer to the mirror, narrowing his eyes.

"What the hell?" he muttered to himself studying the  
black mark. His eyes widened. Then he screamed.

* * *

"HE'S BACK! HE'S BACK! WE'RE SAVED!  
REJOICE PEOPLE! THE APOCALYPSE HAS BEEN  
PREVENTED!" Umetsu-sensei cried happily from where he  
was perched atop Furinkan Highs flag pole. 

"Frup up!" Akane mumbled/shouted from where she  
was tied to the flag pole, Kuno's boxers shoved and taped  
into her mouth. The top half of her school was uniform  
missing, leaving her clad only in a bra and school skirt.

"Fonf fefer phas phofs phis fenfes," Kuno mumbled  
through Akane panties, also tied to the flag pole, wearing  
nothing but Akane's school shirt around his waist .

"BWHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAH!"

TBC

* * *

Chapter 4: Who's the Greatest? He's the Greatest.  
Your the Greatest? 

Next Time: It's a battle to be the best and to the winner  
goes the spoils.

Authors Notes: Sooo... who wants to kill me? Raise your hand.  
Yeah, so it's revised and such, I'm still alive. Be happy.

Email me at my usual

Fic can be found at (as of right now):  
http/tannim.


	5. Chapter 4 Teaser

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. That's all.   
  
MeSsEd Up!  
A Ranma ½ / Sailor Moon Crossover!  
By Hawk  
C&C welcome, as well as flames at Hawk49er@attbi.com  
  
Note: I don't really have a note this time I guess. One thing   
though. You guys, and gals, have to remember that this isn't   
the regular Ranmaverse, it's an AU. Meaning Alternate  
Universe.  
  
Warning: There is swearing and violence in this chapter.   
Why? Because this chapter is more serious than the others.   
You have been warned! Ouggie Boogie! Mlah! Buwaga! And   
so on. . . .  
  
Chapter 4 - Who's the Greatest? He's the Greatest? You're the   
Greatest?   
  
Nodoka and Genma stumbled through the door, both   
breathing restlessly. Studying the bathroom, they soon found   
Ranma standing naked in the middle of the room, eyes wide   
and mouth agape. Two things happened: Nodoka started   
crying and Genma started cursing under his breath about   
having to mop the floor again.   
  
"What's wrong, son?" Genma asked, patiently eyeing   
his catatonic son.   
  
"My manly son's gone insane! My only chance at   
grandchildren is going down the drain!" Nodoka wailed,   
soaking the bathroom floor; coincidently, most of her tears   
doing just the same.  
  
Ranma spun to face his father. "Waddaya mean   
'What's wrong'!? Look at my back! What the hell is this!?" he   
screamed, pointing at his back.   
  
*Oh boy! * Genma thought worriedly while glancing   
at his wife.   
  
The water works stopped as if someone had turned a   
knob on the back of her head to do so. She stared at her son,   
wide-eyed and somewhat fearfully.   
  
"What the heck is the deal with it?" Ranma asked   
seriously, glaring pointedly at Genma.   
  
*What should I say? * Genma thought panicky, *He's   
always been so blind in the past when taking a bath he's never   
noticed! * He looked around the room quickly, *But he'll   
forget it exists once it disappears! I gotta tell him something   
though!*  
  
Nodoka swallowed nervously glancing at her husband.   
The fear she felt for her son was now overridden by another,   
greater fear. "Um . . ." she stuttered, shaking slightly.   
  
"Well, son. I think you're old enough to know the   
truth," Genma said slowly taking deep breathes while looking   
at Nodoka. "It all involves 'Him'. Well, I gotta sleep! Gotta   
big day tomorrow!" he said frantically before tearing out of   
the room.   
  
Picking herself off the floor, Nodoka quickly shot out,   
"I have to go . . . um . . . cook dinner! Yes, that's it!" before   
scrambling out of the room herself.   
  
"Ah . . . ," Ranma began eyeing the door curiously.   
"Waita minute! We already ate dinner!" he realized suddenly   
before slipping on the tear stained floor and landing on his   
face. Letting out a breath and blowing away the salty water  
around his mouth, Ranma muttered wearily, "Him . . . ?  
Who's 'Him' . . . ?"   
  
*********  
  
Ranma tiredly made his way to the breakfast table the   
next morning. The black mark on his back had disappeared,   
leading him to believe he'd dreamt the whole thing and it   
didn't really exist. Genma sat quietly, eating and reading the   
newspaper. As he took a seat across from his father, he   
noticed the headline on the paper as well as the picture.   
  
"Local Gang Members Hung Up to Dry." The picture   
was of Kuno and Akane, hanging from the flag pole.   
  
Ranma couldn't not grin. A grin so big, Genma easily   
noticed. "Why the smile, son?"   
  
"Oh, no reason, Pop," Ranma replied, same grin   
plastered on his face. He quickly started digging into his   
breakfast, stealing some of Genma's without thinking about it.   
  
Genma, not being as slow as one might think, raised an   
eyebrow at his sons behavior. He wasn't quite sure what had   
gotten into Ranma these past few days and had no clue   
whether it was good or not. He silently folded the newspaper   
and stood to leave.   
  
It was at this moment that Ranma noticed Genma's   
attire. A finely knit suit and tie, as well as polished black   
shoes. He looked very intelligent which scared Ranma.   
  
"Uhh . . . Pop . . . where're you goin'?"   
  
"To work . . ."  
  
"Oh . . . Where's that again?" Ranma asked dumbly.   
  
Genma looked at his son. Something was seriously   
wrong. Perhaps they would have to get a doctor to check him   
out. Maybe a psychiatrist. He decided he would humor his son   
for the time being. "Saotome and Kumon. The law firm . . ."  
  
"I see . . . um . . . Pop?"  
  
"Yes, Ranma?" Genma patiently asked, not wanting to  
disturb his insane child.   
  
"You got any money on you?" Ranma replied, slowly  
popping a small piece of fried fish in his mouth.   
  
"Yes . . ."  
  
"I need some money, how much you got on you?"  
Ranma asked, before downing his miso soup in one large gulp.   
  
"170,000 yen," Genma replied, looking through his  
wallet.  
  
"Can I get some of that?" Ranma looked up at Genma,  
slipping the last piece of fried fish into his mouth. He watched  
as Genma pulled out all the yen in his wallet and placed it on  
the table in front of him. 170,000 lay on the table in front of  
him, given to him by his father.   
  
Ranma's eyes rolled upward, followed by his head   
before he fainted, hitting his head on the table, the bowls and   
plates jumping at the heavy thud.   
  
*********  
  
Ranko slumped into the school yard, dragging her feet   
as she did so. It was going to be a long day. She realized the   
day was going to be even longer when Usagi, Rei and Makoto   
ran up to her, followed by Ami, who walked slowly.   
  
"Is it true!?" Makoto and Usagi screamed almost   
simultaneously.   
  
Wincing slightly, Ranko asked, "Is what true?"   
  
"Are you and Ranma a couple?" Rei asked calmly as   
Usagi and Makoto stared at the redhead eagerly.  
  
"Huh!" Ranko exclaimed in surprise. "What gave you   
that idea?"  
  
"Ranma," they all stated simply.   
  
Her hand connected with her forehead, slowly sliding   
down her face. "Ugh . . . just what I DON'T need . . . " she   
mumbled. "Look! Ranma and I aren't going out. It's just a   
plan to get Kuno and his lackeys off my back."  
  
"Oh! I get it!" Ami exclaimed, "If you're 'going out'   
with Ranma, and Ranma can beat up Kuno and his gang, they   
should be too scared to try anything!"  
  
"For fear of Ranma beating them up!" Usagi smiled   
brightly.   
  
Ranko blinked. *I guess it does make sense . . . * she   
thought as Usagi tripped and fell on her face randomly causing   
Rei to trip over her and the two to start arguing.   
  
*********  
  
Leaning far back in his chair, arms hanging loosely by   
his side, Ranma slept soundly as the class progressed. His  
head, which had a small lump on it from his morning meet  
with the table, rocked from side-to-side slightly. A small drop  
of drool hung from the corner of his lips.   
  
Ranko sighed again as a couple of her classmates   
giggled at her and then looked back at Ranma. She had figured   
having Ranma pretend to be her boyfriend wouldn't be too   
bad, but she hadn't been expecting this.   
  
Ripping off a small piece of paper from her note book,   
Ranko rolled it into a between her thumb and index before   
closing one eye and taking aim. Flicking the paper, she   
watches at his sailed over another students head into Ranma's   
opening mouth.   
  
He flung forward in his seat, coughing, gagging on the   
small piece of paper lodge in his throat. He grabbed his neck   
with one hand, smacking his back rapidly with his other.   
Finally, he swallowed loudly, his face contorting into a state of   
confusion and revolt.   
  
The majority of the class laughed or watched him with   
odd expressions. Ranko stared with a face of sorrow and   
anxiety. She hadn't expected that to happen. She cringed when   
Ranma looked in her direction, same look written on his face.   
She looked away, staring at the black board.  
  
Ranma coughed once more before laying his head   
down and going back to sleep.   
  
"Saotome!" Professor Yugure shouted, "What's 4 over  
2 when divided by 2?"(1)  
  
"One . . . " Ranma mumbled through silent snores.  
  
The class looked stupidly at the sleeping teen.   
  
*********  
  
"Hey, Nabiki!" Ranma called as he strode across the   
schoolyard at lunch.   
  
"What do you want, Ranma?" Nabiki asked, frowning   
deeply, eyes narrowed. "I don't exactly have all the time in the  
world, you know."   
  
Ranma blinked. "Errr . . . right. Anyway, I know what  
kinda business you run and I just came by a large sum of  
money, so I was wondering if you might have something I'm  
looking for," he explained easily.   
  
"How much money are we talking about?" Nabiki  
asked, eyeing Ranma suspiciously.   
  
"Enough," Ranma answered smugly.  
  
"What exactly are you looking for?" Nabiki inquired,  
her manner now that of a business woman.   
  
"Ranko. I want every single picture you have of  
Ranko."  
  
Nabiki, to say the least, wasn't pleased with Ranma's  
request, yet was pleased to say, "No."  
  
Ranma raised an eyebrow. *If that's the way you want  
to play it . . . * he thought, annoyed slightly by Nabiki's  
attitude.   
  
Reaching into his pocket, he quickly pulled out a large  
wad of yen and waved it in front of Nabiki's face, directly  
under the short-haired girl's nose.   
  
Nabiki's mouth watered at the sight, and she leaned  
forward in her sitting position, attempting to get closer. She  
sniffed the money once before looking up at Ranma. "That's  
only 10,000 yen. I sell Ranko pictures at either 2,500 or 5,000.  
Depends on what type of picture, after all." She smiled, not all  
too pleasantly.  
  
"All right . . . Then how about this?" Ranma reached  
slowly, dramatically into his shirt, as if a larger sum of money  
were there. Instead, Ranma pulled out a handful of pictures  
and handed them to Nabiki.  
  
Said girl blinked curiously as she took the pictures.  
"What're these?" she asked before looking at them.   
  
Ranma smiled to himself. There was no way Nabiki  
would turn down pictures like those.  
  
Nabiki blinked again. "What the hell is this crap!?" she  
shouted before throwing the pictures into Ranma's face. "I  
don't want or have any need of pictures of you!"  
  
It was Ranma's turn to blink as he picked the pictures  
up off the ground. How could she not want pictures of him?  
He was Ranma Saotome! Resident hunk and martial artist  
extraordinaire!   
  
Nabiki's eye twitched as Ranma struck as heroic  
looking pose in front of her, flexing his muscles while  
grinning like an idiot. Raising her hand to her face, she rubbed  
her eyebrow, stopping the twitch.   
  
"Look, Saotome . . ." she said slowly, gaining the ego  
inflated martial artist's attention. "I only take cash for pictures  
of Ranko. If you don't have enough, then get lost."  
  
Frowning as he stuff the pictures back down his shirt,  
Ranma reached down and pulled yet another wad of yen out of  
his pocket. "How much was it gonna be for all of 'em?"  
  
"5,160."  
  
"What!?! For all of them!?" Ranma shouted, sounding  
quite insane at the moment.  
  
"Yup. Special price, just for you, Saotome," Nabiki  
explained smugly.  
  
"How come I feel like I'm being robbed?" Ranma  
asked no one in particular as he pulled out exactly the right  
amount of cash.  
  
"Because you are, Saotome," Nabiki replied, grabbing  
the money out of Ranma's hand while handing him all the  
pictures of Ranko she had. On her, that is.   
  
*That was just too easy. * both thought arrogantly, as  
Ranma walked away from Nabiki.   
  
*********  
  
"So I said! I said! And this is the funniest part! Once  
you hear it, you'll never forget!" Makoto exclaimed excitedly,  
about to reach the punch line of her joke.   
  
"Hey, Ranko!" Ranma shouted as he marched  
triumphantly toward the petite redhead.  
  
The group of girls blinked, Makoto forgetting what she  
was going to say and Ranko groaning loudly, covering her  
face with her hand.   
  
Stopping in front of the group, Ranma grinned broadly  
as he looked around the group. Most wore shocked or  
confused expressions, while Ranko covered her face.   
  
*Most likely to hide her blush. * Ranma thought, his  
ego inflating slightly as he did so.  
  
Looking up at Ranma, her face its normal light peachy  
color, Ranko asked irritably, "What do you want, Ranma?"  
  
"What?" Ranma asked innocently, grinning widely, "A  
boyfriend can't say hello to his girlfriend when he wants to?"  
  
Ranko groaned to herself yet again as her friends  
giggled girlishly. He was really taking this to far. "Once again.  
What do you want, Ranma?"   
  
"Ah . . . Hold on. I gotta remember," Ranma said  
lamely.   
  
The group sweat dropped, Ranma included.   
  
Ranma's eyes widened suddenly then blinked blankly,  
remembering what he was originally planning to do.   
  
Somewhere Cherry smacked his forehead right before  
a piano fell on him. This was followed by a glob of bird shit  
then the bird itself.   
  
Ranma grinned at Ranko's perplexed expression. For   
some reason he just found it impossible not to have some fun  
with this girl. Or make fun of, depending on how you looked   
at it. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out about 30 pictures   
and tossed them to Ranko. Of course, they all didn't land on   
Ranko, instead spreading around the group. In-between his   
middle and index fingers, he still held one picture, it's back to   
the group.   
  
Ranko blinked as the pictures rained down around her   
like leafs. Plucking one out of the air, she glanced at it   
curiously. Blinking once again, she looked at Ranma before   
doing a double take, nearly taking her head off in the process.   
"What the hell?" she shouted in horror, her crystal blue eyes   
wide and clouded with shocked.   
  
"Yeah, I bought those off Nabiki today and figured you   
might want them," Ranma replied casually, smiling kindly at   
the upset redhead.   
  
Ranko looked up at Ranma, her current dilemma   
forgotten for the moment. Why was he doing this for her?   
What had she ever done to deserve this kindness from him?   
Maybe having him pretend to be her boyfriend wouldn't be   
that bad a thing after all. She smiled brightly up at him, and   
watched as he colored slightly causing her to blush a little as   
well. She just hoped the others didn't see this. "Um . . .   
thanks . . ."  
  
Luckily for her, the others were to caught up in   
gawking at the pictures to notice.  
  
*God, I wish she wouldn't smile at me like that. *   
Ranma thought, rubbing the back of his head. He quickly   
responded, face slightly red, "Yeah, um, no problem, but I'm   
keeping this one." He flipped the picture in-between his   
fingers around, showing the group.   
  
The whole group looked.   
  
The whole group stared.  
  
The picture was, of course, of Ranko, but was quite a   
revealing one. Ranko stood topless, her side to the camera,   
while bending slightly at the knees, removing her pants and   
panties.  
  
Ranma chuckled nervously, before pulling a pen out   
his pocket. "Hey, think you could, ya know, sign it?" he asked,   
handing the pen and picture to the shocked girl.  
  
Subconsciously, Ranko started signing her name, eyes   
staring at the spot Ranma had been holding the picture.  
  
"Make it out to 'My hunky boyfriend', please," Ranma   
requested with a cocky smile as Ranko continued to write.   
Quickly snatching the picture back from Ranko, incidently   
snapping her out of it, he held the picture up, reading what   
she'd written. "You can keep the pen if you want," he added   
absently.  
  
Ranko blinked, then blinked again in surprise. "I didn't   
just write that, did I?" she asked, the sun reflecting off her   
eyes, making them twinkle. Her face had grown redder, her   
breath coming in deeper causing her chest to do interesting   
things for those that could see.   
  
"Sorta," Ranma said, attempting to read the sloppy   
hand writing before stuffing the picture down his shirt for safe   
keeping.   
  
Ranko hopped forward slightly, landing on her knees   
in front of Ranma. "Give it back!" she shouted desperately,   
tugging on his pant leg. There was no telling what a pervert   
like Ranma would do with that picture in his filthy hands!   
  
Sighing dramatically, Ranma reached into his shirt and   
pulled out another picture, tossing it to Ranko. "Here. You can   
have this one though," Ranma offered.  
  
Ranko grabbed the picture quickly, looking it over like   
a madwoman. She blinked and abruptly threw the picture back   
at Ranma. "I don't want a picture of you! I want the picture of   
me back!"   
  
Ranma sighed, frowning as he picked up the picture of   
a topless him flexing his muscles. One which Nabiki had   
refused as well. Licking his lips, Ranma tried again, bending   
down waving the picture in front of Ranko's face. "Come on .   
. . you know you want it," he said smiling teasingly.   
  
Usagi blinked at Ami and Rei, though more so at the   
latter, noticing that they'd barely touched their bento's.  
  
"I don't want it," Ranko growled, looking up at  
Ranma, but avoiding eye contact.  
  
Ranma frowned again, and turned around. He quickly   
shoved the picture up his sleeve and turned around again,   
holding his arms in the air. "Alright! If you can find it . . . you   
can have it!" he exclaimed, smiling brightly.   
  
"No," Ranko replied dully.  
  
Makoto attached herself to his leg, feeling her way up   
it. "I'll find it!"   
  
"Gah!" Ranma shouted, jumping out of Makoto's   
grasp before her hands could get to high.  
  
Makoto pouted and returned to where she'd been   
sitting, flexing her fingers, remembering the muscles they'd   
just been gripping. She smiled happily to herself.   
  
"Wait. If we can find the picture of _Ranko_, we can   
keep it?" Usagi exclaimed a little to loudly for Ranma's and   
the others' tastes.   
  
"Errr . . . that's not what I sa-," Ranma started, before   
being cut off by a loud scream.  
  
"Get him!" a horny, pimple-faced boy shouted,   
pointing at Ranma.  
  
"A free picture!"  
  
"It's mine!"  
  
Ranma's eyes widened as more than 30 eavesdropping  
boys rushed toward him, drool hanging from their lips.  
Screaming in horror, Ranma hurriedly bolted from the scene,  
the mob of horny teenagers hot on his tail.  
  
The group blinked in unison, surprised by the  
suddenness of it all.   
  
Rubbing her forehead, Ranko turned to Usagi.  
"Thanks, Usagi. I thought he'd never go away," she said,  
laughing nervously.   
  
"Bwah?" Usagi replied, food falling from her mouth.   
  
"What?" Ranko asked, the other looking at Usagi  
curiously.  
  
Gulp Usagi swallowed the food quickly, her  
seemingly large endless neck and stomach allowing her to get  
it all down. "What did I do?" she asked blinking rapidly.   
  
Ranko sweat dropped. "Nothing Usagi . . . nothing at  
all . . ."   
  
"Hey! Where'd my lunch go?" Ami exclaimed as she  
looked down at the spot where her food had been.   
  
Rei blinked at Ami before laughing out loud. "At least  
she didn't eat my lunch this time!" Rei shouted as she picked  
up her bento, not noticing the contents missing.   
  
********  
  
Ranko frowned as she rifled through the pile of   
picture, all of which were of her. Of her in very . . . interesting   
positions.   
  
"Wow! Look at this picture! I never knew a person   
could bend like that . . ."  
  
"Baka Meatball-head! Women can bend into a lot   
more positions than men can," Rei answer smugly, a grin   
donning her face.   
  
"Yeah, but like this?" Usagi said passing the picture to   
Rei.  
  
"Whoa! That's . . . an interesting position there, Ranko   
. . ." Rei admitted as she scrutinized the pictured in her hand   
closely.   
  
"Ranko! You really shouldn't bend over like this   
while practicing!"  
  
"What?" She snatched the photo out of Rei's hand,   
"Eep!" Ranko squealed, eyes going wide before a large blush   
spread across her features. "I-I couldn't help it! For some   
reason my gi shrunk in the wash the day before!"   
  
*********  
  
Elsewhere, Nabiki smiled and smelled her nice, crisp,   
clean wad of money again.  
  
*********  
  
"How about this one, Ranko? Good lord!" Rei   
exclaimed, eyes wide in shock.  
  
Ranko grabbed that picture, mouth dropping open. She   
was standing on one leg, the other raised, her foot pressed   
against her forehead. Her panties were easily noticeable,   
though most was covered by her gi. Her head felt slightly light   
headed.   
  
She was going to kill Nabiki for this.   
  
"So on another subject. When are you and Ranma   
gonna go out on a date?" Makoto asked eagerly.   
  
Ranko shook her head. "What? We aren't really going   
out! Remember? Why would go out on a date with him?" she   
explained quickly.   
  
"Well he is pretty cute now," Makoto said honestly.  
  
"This is true!" Usagi added, "I wouldn't mind going   
out on date with him!"  
  
"Then why don't YOU go out with him. Hmm?"   
Ranko asked Usagi, peering closely into the young blondes   
eyes.   
  
Usagi grinned happily. "Tuxedo mask," she whispered   
dreamily, fading away into a fantasy land.   
  
"Right . . . "  
  
"You two do seem like a perfectly equal match."  
  
"Ugh?" Ranko's face was that of mass confusion.   
  
Ami continued, "Just look at your names, Ranma and  
Ranko. You both seem to like martial arts, and you're both   
rather smart, though I think Ranma has the advantage in that   
category."  
  
Ranko grumbled under her breath.  
  
Makoto giggled. "You're both 'wild'. I wonder if that's   
the same for," she giggled again, "you know . . . "  
  
Now Ranko blushed, thoughts of the two Wild Ones in   
bed.   
  
*********  
  
"I guess out of all my uncles, I'd have to say Uncle   
Caveman was my favorite. We'd call him uncle Caveman   
because he lived in a cave and would occasionally come out   
and eat one of us. Later on we found out he was a bear,"   
Umino explained good heartily, a smile on his face, his arms   
waved above his head.   
  
Ranma smiled at Umino strangely, hanging upside   
down from a branch of the tree they sat under. He was   
definitely weird, but he was a good friend, and a friend was   
something Ranma rarely ever had.   
  
"So how far have you gotten with Ranko?"  
  
Ranma fell out of the tree and flat on his face. "Urgh. .   
." He watched as an upside down Ranko stormed over to the   
tree, her face nearly as red as her hair.   
  
"Rrrrrrraaaaaaanma!" she screamed.   
  
"Urgh. . ."  
  
"I WANT that picture back. Now!" She stomped her   
foot to emphasize her point, but it turned into something more   
cute than threatening.  
  
Rolling back so he was right side up, he stared at   
Ranko from where he sat Indian style on the ground. "What   
picture?" he asked innocently, eyes shining naively.   
  
She glared, hands on hips, looking half angry and half   
cute at the same time.   
  
*********  
  
Kuno, limping slightly, strolled as confidently as he   
could over to Nabiki. "Fair Ten Do daughter," he began,   
attempting to sound charming, perhaps to receive a better   
price on what he was to ask for. "I come seeking pictures of   
your bea . . .uh . . . titful! cousin, Ten Do Ranko!"  
  
"It's Tendo and cut the CRAP, Kuno," Nabiki   
exclaimed loudly and lamely. "You sound even stupider when   
you talk like that."   
  
Kuno crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine! I just   
figured I might sound more soph . . . soph. . . isti . . . smart! If   
I talked like a noble person!"  
  
"You sounded like a moron. Now what do you want?"  
  
"I want pictures of Ranko, what else would I want?"  
  
"Ahh, sorry Kuno, they're all gone," Nabiki replied   
with a smirk.   
  
"WHAT? But! How? When? Who?!" Kuno raged.  
  
"Who do you think," Nabiki said, nodding her head in   
Ranma's direction. "Ranko's boy toy."   
  
"That fiend So Do Me dares defile the delilili...icate   
blossom that is Ten Do Ranko! The foul cretin has been   
sleeping with my woman! I'm gonna kick his as-err... make   
him pay for his crimes against my noble self!" Kuno shouted,   
reverting in and out of his other self.   
  
Nabiki didn't know whether to smile or smack her   
forehead in dismay. She watched dully as Kuno stormed, still   
funnily, toward Ranma and Ranko.  
  
*********  
  
"Hand it over right now, Ranma," Ranko demanded,   
glaring at the boy in front of her.   
  
"And what if I refuse?" Ranma asked back, raising his  
head cockily. That was before he received a kick to the bottom  
of his jaw, knocking him over backwards. "Ow! Dat hurt!" he   
half shouted, half mumbled while rubbing his now sore   
mouth.   
  
"Good! Gimme the picture!" Ranko exclaimed,   
extending her arm.  
  
"Neber!" Ranma replied, covering his crotch with his   
hands. "You'll neber 'ake w'at's mine!"   
  
The redheads eyes widened before she covered her   
eyes and shouted back, "I don't want that, you pervert! I want   
the picture!"   
  
"Aha! So it's true! The foul beast So Do Me has   
managed to bite the fair Ranko with his snake!" Kuno cut in,   
hobbling up to the two.  
  
"What. . .?" Ranma groaned, having just readjusted his   
jaw.   
  
"Your snake, fiend! Has it not tasted the flesh of my   
young beau. . . pretty Ranko or has it not?" Kuno snarled,   
weakly pointing his bokken at said offender.   
  
"What. . .?" was once again Ranma's reply.   
  
Ranko looked as equally lost.   
  
"Well your slippery-snake has snaked is slippery   
snake-like ways for the last time!" Kuno continued, feebly   
waving his bokken around.  
  
"Are you calling me a snake?" Ranma asked blankly.   
  
"I will personally see to it that your snake never slips   
into another's pants!" Kuno raged, swinging his bokken once   
before falling over onto his face.  
  
"WHAT?!" Ranko and Ranma screamed at the same   
time, faces mirrored in shock.   
  
"Are you suggesting I SLEPT WITH THAT  
TOMBOY?" Ranma shouted in horror, his voice echoing   
around the whole school.   
  
"Who're you calling a tomboy, pervert!" Ranko shot   
back at Ranma.   
  
"I'm not a pervert, you flat-chested wannabe martial   
artist!" Ranma replied angrily, turning around to face Ranko.  
  
Ranko looked at Ranma in utter shock, eyes wide. "Do   
you even KNOW who you're talking to?"  
  
Kuno meanwhile stood dumbfounded, watching the   
two throw insults back and forth like punches.   
  
Ranma blinked. "Oh yeah! Ha! You're not Akane," he   
said smacking his forehead, before adding seriously, "but   
you're still a tomboy."   
  
Ranko punched Ranma in the head, knocking him   
over. "I am NOT a tomboy!" She felt truly hurt by what he   
said. She took pride in her feminine side. Most people   
expected her to be a tomboy because of her martial arts   
training, not taking into account the fact that she cooked and   
dressed like a girl.  
  
Dazed, Ranma lay on the ground, staring across the   
yard. *You're an idiot* his mind told him, to which he replied,   
"I know."  
  
"You know what!" Ranko exclaimed fiercely, hands   
on her hips.   
  
"You're an idiot," he said dully, mimicking his   
previous thought. It took him a moment before his eyes   
widened in realization of what he'd just said.   
  
Growling under her breath, Ranko told Ranma angrily,   
"I don't know why that idiot Kuno thinks we've had sex! But   
I'll tell you this! You and I are NEVER! EVER! Going to   
have sex. EVER!"   
  
"Hey! I'm standing right here you know?" Kuno   
exclaimed, jabbing his bokken into the ground.   
  
As she stormed off, Ranma muttered quietly, "Why   
would I want to have sex with you anyway, damn freak . . ."   
Having said that, he rolled over upset, looking away from   
Ranko, not noticing her pause briefly, lower her head, then   
start walking again.   
  
"Foul sorcer . . .ceress! The vengeance of heaven is   
slow but sure! I, Kuno Tatewaki of the 'Virile Kendo Men',   
shall cap your ass!" Kuno exclaimed, seeing he now had a   
chance to speak.   
  
"How 'bout I put my foot up your ass!" Glowing red,   
Ranma punted Kuno into the air as he screamed, "And it's   
'sorcerer', you idiot!"   
  
*********  
  
"Come on! Tell me! How far did you get with   
Ranko!?" Umino shouted as he and Ranma walked out of the   
school's front doors.  
  
"Umm, about half way," Ranma muttered tiredly.  
  
"That's got to be farther than anyone's ever gone..."  
  
"Then, we ran into a really irritating old coot."   
  
"Huh? There was an old man there too?"  
  
"Yeah, it's her little friend that lives under the bridge."   
Ranma shrugged. "Geez . . . If it weren't for him, I'd have gone   
all the way with her."  
  
"Bridge? You were making out under the bridge?"   
  
"Making out?"  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ranma blinked.  
  
"Err . . . you know! First and second base stuff!"  
  
"I don't play baseball." Ranma stared at Unimo flatly.  
  
Umino blinked. "Baseball? What's that got to do with   
making out?"  
  
Ranma sweatdropped. "I TOLD YOU I WASN'T   
MAKING OUT WITH THAT TOMBOY!"  
  
Umino sweatdropped. "So you were making out with   
Ranko!"  
  
"Will you just listen to me for a second!"  
  
"Have you kissed her yet!?"  
  
"Just a second That's all I'm askin'!"  
  
"You have kissed her, haven't you! What was it like!   
Details! Details!"  
  
"What are you, a girl!? Nothin' happened!" Ranma   
snapped.  
  
"But-but, you just said that-huh?"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"You said you didn't make out with a tomboy. Ranko's   
not a tomboy . . ."  
  
"Sure! Sure she is!"   
  
"So you had to have made out with her!"  
  
"No way! I've never seen a more unfeminine chick in   
my life! And some of them were dressed as guys too!"  
  
"What!?"  
  
"Just look at those hips! And that chest?"  
  
Umino adjusted his glasses. "Looks good to me. Chest   
looks nice too. I like her chest . . . ."   
  
"I've known guys with a bigger chest!"  
  
"Errr . . . ."  
  
"Hell, even that idiot Herb had a better figure."  
  
Umino blinked. "I get it! You made out with this Herb   
girl didn't you," he said patting Ranma on the back.   
  
"Herb was a guy, you idiot!" Ranma exclaimed,   
smacking Umino.  
  
"Ow! Hey! Don't hit me! I'm not the one making out   
with guys!"  
  
"Don't go around spreading those lies!"  
  
"What lies?"  
  
"I'd rather make out with Ranko than with a guy!"  
  
Ranma blinked.  
  
Umino blinked.  
  
From across the yard, Ranko blinked.  
  
"Umm . . . forget what I just said."  
  
Umino facefaulted.   
  
"Are you ok, man?" Ranma asked, patting Umino on   
his back.  
  
"Damn right I'm a man! Don't touch my ass! I don't   
swing that way!"  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
"You and that Herb person." Umino shuddered,   
stepping away from Ranma.  
  
Ranma smacked Umino again.  
  
"Ow! What was that for!"  
  
"Stop spreading lies about me!"  
  
"What lies?" Umino looked confused.   
  
"Look, I ain't never made out with anyone."  
  
Umino's eyes blinked behind his massive glasses.   
"What about Ranko? Second base, right?" he said nudge   
nudging, wink-winking at Ranma.  
  
"Why are you so perverted all of a sudden? I thought   
the only thing you cared about were tests."  
  
"I've always been perverted." Umino was grinning   
stupidly.   
  
Ranma moaned weakly, smacking his forehead.  
  
Umino kept grinning.  
  
"Anyway, I dunno what you see in that Ranko chick."  
  
"What's not to see! Long legs . . ."  
  
"She ain't got nothing I ain't seen before." Ranma   
stated smugly.  
  
"Pretty face . . ." Umino muttered, staring off into   
space, "Huge, tracks of land!" he shouted as he cupped his   
hands at his chest.   
  
"A tiny mole on her butt."   
  
"Say what!?"  
  
"Yup. You won't notice at first glance."  
  
"Wait a sec! If you've seen her butt . . . Ranma, you old   
dog!"  
  
"I've seen much more than her butt."  
  
". . . . ."  
  
". . . . ."  
  
"Are you _sure_ you haven't made out with her? Just a   
little bit?"  
  
"Somehow, that didn't come out the way I intended it,"   
Ranma groaned out, sighing deeply, as Umino hopped around   
him in a circle.  
  
"You're my hero, Ranma."  
  
"Ah, it's nothing," Ranma said puffing his chest out in   
pride, though he didn't fully know what Umino was talking   
about.  
  
"But there's something I don't understand. What   
happened with the old man?"  
  
"He and I went at it after Ranko left."  
  
"......" Quietly, Umino took a step away from Ranma.  
  
*********   
  
"Will you just listen to me for a second?!"  
  
"Have you kissed him yet!?"  
  
"Just one second! That's all I ask!"  
  
"You have kissed him, haven't you! What was it like!   
Details! Details!"  
  
"What are you, a girl!?"  
  
"Yes..." Makoto replied.   
  
"Oh yeah," Ranko muttered walking away from   
Makoto and the others.   
  
The others caught up to her momentarily, Usagi asking   
the next question. "So if you haven't kissed him, what was the   
sex like?"  
  
*********  
  
Ranma looked up at the katana mounted on the wall   
above his bed. There was something about that blade that   
freaked him out. Maybe it had to do with the fact that it was   
placed above his bed and he feared it suddenly falling on him   
while he slept.   
  
Every time he looked upon the sword, a strange feeling   
ran through him, and he felt himself shudder involuntarily.   
The more he looked at the katana, the stronger the vibes   
became. It seemed like the blade was pulsing like a heart.  
  
He blinked quickly, head flashing to the right, staring   
at his white bedroom wall. Had he just heard a scream? He   
scanned his room as what sounded like a male shouting,   
followed by a female cry of pain.   
  
Adopting a ready position, Ranma slowly walked to   
his bedroom window, looking out of it. He spun around,   
staring at the door to his room, where another scream seemed   
to have originated.   
  
"Please spare the child!"   
  
Ranma turned slowly, staring at the sword above his   
bed. Another scream, then whispering. Quick muttering. The   
name Shinta was spoken rapidly, then it quieted.   
  
Ignoring all the warning voices in his head, Ranma   
crawled onto his bed and toward the blade. His hand moved   
forward, shaking slightly. Finally, he grasped the hilt of the   
katana.  
  
The world rushed around him, speeding forward, then   
throwing him backwards, causing him to land harshly on his   
back. He blinked and winced as his back ached from his   
landing. He placed his at sides and felt cold grass, not the soft   
bed he slept on the previous few nights.   
  
He looked up to see his mother and . . . HIMSELF?   
Shaking his head, he watched as a younger him practiced a   
strange form of Kendo. The Nodoka charged the chibi him,   
slashing downward as Chibi-Ranma raised his bokken to   
block. The sticks clashed, and Chibi-Ranma was knocked   
back from the force of Nodoka's blow.   
  
The chibi him, without pigtail and large round glasses   
began to cry. Nodoka, instead of bursting into tears herself,   
walked steadily over to him, and hit him on the head with her   
bokken.   
  
"Do you always want to be afraid?" she questioned   
harshly.   
  
"No!" Chibi-Ranma sobbed out.   
  
"Then get up and try again!" Nodoka shouted, walking   
away from her child, bokken held tightly in her grip.  
  
"Afraid of what?" Ranma-kun shouted at Nodoka,   
standing up and getting ready to intercept his mother.   
  
But everything changed. The ground underneath him   
shifted, causing him to fall forward. Day became night, cold   
grass became damp stone. The sides of his view filled with old   
fashioned houses, rock walls rose upward beside the houses   
forming a long street of stone.   
  
A dewy gust of wind blew through his chest and out   
his back, chilling him to the bones. He looked up and saw two   
men walking toward him, one carrying a lantern, the other   
larger man, with his hand on the hilt of his katana. They   
walked in silence, other than the loud 'clop' their wooden   
sandals made on the hard street.  
  
One of them shouted, the lantern dropped to the street,   
breaking apart. Before the larger man could unsheath his   
blade, another katana drove through his forehead. The man's   
eyes opened wide, mimicking Ranma's own. He twitched   
violently before the katana in his forehead drove upward,   
splitting the top of his head open and spraying blood upward.   
  
The other man swung his katana at their attacker only   
to have it parried easily. The man spun around, swinging   
again, this time his katana being broken in two by his   
attacker's. He barely had time to scream before the attacker's   
katana slid into his open mouth and out the back of his head.   
The katana ripped out the side of his head before slashing   
across his chest, ripping it open and sending blood   
everywhere.   
  
Everywhere but on his attacker, who had already   
moved out of the way.   
  
Ranma remained on his hands and knees, staring at the   
dead bodies. The blood seeped into the small canals between   
each carefully laid stone of the street. He slowly looked up to   
see the attacker walking in his direction. Stumbling back,   
Ranma attempted to crawl away backwards, away from the   
figure.   
  
His hand lost grip on the damp stone and slipped,   
slowing him down enough for the attacker to get closer.   
Preparing to jump to his feet and attack, Ranma train of   
thought was lost the moment the assassins eyes settled on his.   
  
He passed out to the sight of the yellow eyes looking   
into his own, landing heavily on his own bed.   
  
*********  
  
Feet dragging along the ground, Ranma walked   
dejectedly toward the front doors of Furinkan. Head bowed   
down, he made no motions or movements to acknowledge the   
existence of anyone else. Everything seemed wrong to him   
and his heart felt as if it'd been tied with a chain and ball, also   
dragging down his shoulders.   
  
He continued walking, dragging his feet as he entered   
his schoolyard. Over a small grassy knoll, he stepped onto the   
stone pathway, his feet impacting heavily with the ground with   
every step he took. Looking up behind the lines of lampposts,   
Ranma stared blankly at the flagpole, now vacant of its earlier   
inhabitants. He sighed, sounding regretful and slightly amused   
before frowning and continuing his journey.   
  
Lowering his head, Ranma watched the ground pass   
under his feet, finding the sight somewhat soothing. Stepping   
off the path, onto a small grass yard, he walked in-between a   
pair of small trees, about 16 feet apart from each other. He   
looked up, noticing his friend Umino waving to him, and   
smiled only slightly.  
  
Normally he'd be pleased to see his friend, but not   
today. The katana had seen to that.  
  
He his eyes slid to the side, stealing a glance at Ranko   
and her friends. Laughing, smiling. They sure looked happy.   
Seemed as if they hadn't a care in the world.  
  
*Lucky bastards . . .* he thought, glaring at the group   
slightly.  
  
He was about to march up to them and give them a   
piece of his mind when a swarm of cherry blossoms crashed   
into his side, bowling him over.   
  
A group of girls walked by giggling at the twitching   
arm sticking out of the pile of cherry blossoms.   
  
*********  
  
His shadow painted itself across the wall surrounding   
Furinkan High, keeping in stride with himself as he walked   
along side it. He grinned, baring his canines. Today. Today   
was the day he'd be free of Nabiki and the debts he owed her.   
All he had to do was beat up some guy named Ranma. How   
hard could that be?   
  
Adjusting the black bandanna covering his head of hair   
and sun glasses over his eyes, the fighter, otherwise known as   
the Green Dragon, entered the Furinkan school grounds. He   
was wearing loose fitting black jeans, a black sleeveless T-  
shirt with a dark green dragon embroidered on the back and   
green colored arm bracers to match. He kept his head lowered   
to avoid eye contact with any of the numerous students.   
  
Taking a quick glance around he noticed a lone boy   
walking toward a lunch table nearly filled to its limit. Hopping   
only twice he was in front of the boy grabbing him up by the   
collar and easily lifting him least three feet off the ground.   
Baring his teeth menacingly, the black clad boy growled,   
"Where's Ranma Saotome?"   
  
Daisuke gulped nervously as he looked at the sun-  
glassed wearing face. He wasn't sure, but something about his   
assailant seemed familiar. Had he met this guy before? With   
the sunglasses on he couldn't quite tell. "Ah Are-ra-ran-ma   
Sao-Saotome. He's ov-over there," Daisuke replied pointing a   
shaking hand at the raven haired boy. "Tha-the one- with-with   
the ra-red shirt," he finished, sweating horribly.   
  
Glancing over at the pointed, the fanged fighter   
assessed the black haired boy's form. *Slumped shoulders and   
barely any muscle definition.* The boy snorted, incidently   
right into Daisuke's face. "She called me to beat the crap outta   
this guy?" He shook his head sadly and tossed Daisuke to the   
ground, a few feet away. He started toward Ranma, strides   
confident, a half grin plastered on his face.   
  
Wiping his face with one hand and clutching his chest   
with the other, Daisuke stared breathlessly at the gold dragon   
on Ryouga back. He pointed a finger at the fighters back. "I   
know who you are!" he shouted suddenly not afraid. "You're   
Gre-" Daisuke started.  
  
The boy spun around, raising a finger to his lips.   
"Shhh! You don't wanna get on my bad side, do you?"   
Daisuke got the point. Anyone who got Green Dragon mad   
was in for a world of pain.   
  
He hadn't really threatened the guy in that he wouldn't   
have followed through with his threat. He wasn't the type to   
pick on someone who wasn't a fighter. He just didn't want the   
element of surprise to be taken away. That or all the annoying   
fans crowding around him and wasting his time.   
  
Turning back around, Ryouga headed straight for   
Ranma, making sure his feet crushed the ground under his feet   
and that his fangs were slightly bared. Stopping about twelve   
feet from Ranma, Ryouga called out to the depressed one of   
the two.   
  
"Ranma Saotome!"   
  
Said shouted glanced up at hearing his name, as well   
as many others in the school yard. Soon enough, students were   
forming a large circle around the two, whispering among   
themselves.   
  
"Isn't that..."  
  
"I think it is..."  
  
"Wow! I can't believe it's..."  
  
"What's he doing here...?"  
  
"This is so cool..."  
  
Ranma scanned the crowd with narrowed eyes,   
noticing everyone he knew and more were all staring at the   
fighter clad in black. Who was this guy . . .? He looked   
familiar, but something was different . . . wrong, in a sense.   
  
Placing his hands on the ground next to him, Ranma   
slowly lifted himself to his feet. Dusting his pants off, Ranma   
took a better look at the fighter . . . and figured out who it was.   
He really wasn't in the mood for any of this.   
  
"What do you want?" he asked quietly, his voice   
sounding utterly dead.   
  
"You," Green Dragon replied simply, still grinning and   
pointing a steady finger at Ranma.  
  
Ranma sighed deeply before fixing Ryouga with a dark   
glare. "Why?" he asked pointedly.  
  
Ryouga shrugged. "I'd heard that you've become quite   
the martial artist. Someone even said that you were better than   
me," he replied, straight faced.  
  
Ranma's eyes narrowed in thought. Who could he have  
heard that from? Who could have told him something as   
stupid as that? Unless . . . "So you're goin' fight me cause   
someone said I was better than you?"  
  
He'd been setup.  
  
"That about sums it up. I gotta retain my title as Japans   
best after all. So I challenge you, Ranma Saotome! To the   
winner goes the spoils. Tomorrow, in the gym. Do you   
accept?" Ryouga asked professionally, then added mockingly,   
"Or are you chicken?"  
  
Ranma crossed his arms over his chest and stared   
coldly at Green Dragon. "Can I at least catch your name before   
I agree to this bout?" he asked cooly.  
  
"Name's Green Dragon," Ryouga replied, grinning   
toothy.  
  
*Ryouga!* Ranma thought as he realized who it was   
standing across from him. *Hardly recognized him with that   
weird getup he's wearing. He must keep his real name a   
secret . . . I'll have to look into that later.*   
  
Instead Ranma asked, his brow furrowing with a sense   
of curiousity, "Green Dragon, eh? So named after the great   
warrior Guan Yu's weapon(2)?"  
  
"You know the history of the Three Kingdoms(3),   
eh?" Ryouga replied smiling with admiration.   
  
"Well I'm no idiot," Ranma replied with a casual   
smile.   
  
"Good to finally meet someone who knows their   
history."  
  
"I agree to your match. Give me two days to prepare   
and I'll fight you here. In the gym," Ranma stated. He never   
was one to turn down a challenge, even if he knew he   
probably couldn't win it.  
  
"I'll give you the rest of today, and tomorrow. Come   
Sunday morning, you better show. Otherwise your rep as a   
fighter will be ruined. Labeled a coward," Ryouga replied,   
staring Ranma in the eyes.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll show," Ranma returned.  
  
And with that, the famous Green Dragon turned   
around and strolled away from Furinkan High. He never once   
looked back to acknowledge the numerous whispers being   
spread throughout the crowd.  
  
********* 


End file.
